From Cheri: How about a Church for ALL People?

Last Sunday I visited a place called the Church 4 All People, a United Methodist Church in Columbus Ohio. The Church 4 All People is a wonderfully unique church in its diversity of race, econonic class, education level, and even theology. This church began around a coffee pot in a Free Store. Folks who had lots of "stuff" came into town from the 'burbs and gave their time and their "stuff" away for free in a 'hood where there were many people who are homeless or unemployed or underemployed. Around a coffee pot, a thing called "community" began to form, and before they knew it, some folks got a crazy idea to start a Church 4 ALL PEOPLE.

A Church for all People is just what I saw and experienced last Sunday morning, and it was amazing!

Sadly, most churches are not churches for all people, they are churches for a certain type of people: white people, or black people, upper middle class people, or middle class people, well educated people, well dressed people, people who drive certain types of cars, talk a certain way, wear a certain type of clothes, and so on. Most churches are filled with people that look very similar to one another.

I want to be a part of a church that is filled with all kinds of people. I like diversity. How about you?

Recently, a church consultant, who visits churches all over the country, visited my church: The Village. He said that he liked The Village because the folks here look like "the next twenty people walking down the street." I was not sure what he meant at first, so we had a conversation so he could unpack that a bit. Now that I have visited The Church 4 All People I understand. He meant, any 20 people on any street could come to The Village and fit in, because we are a church for all people. I am not entirely sure how we managed to do this, but I thank God every day for this gift, and I pray that we can sustain this sense of welcome and hospitality.

Whether you attend The Village Church or another church, I invite you to join me in this spiritual practice. The next time you stop at at stop light, look at the next 20 people that go by, either in a car or on foot. Could the next 20 people walk into your church and be welcome? If your answer is yes, then thank God. If your answer is no, ponder, why not, and consider what you might want to do about that.