5 Misconceptions About Today’s Local Churches
Christianity and churches have been around for nearly 2,000 years, going through thousands of generations of shifting cultures and societies. As the world advances and changes, people’s perception of church has changed as well. It’s important to recognize that the message and principles of the Christian Faith and the Bible remain the same, but how a church approaches reaching community and spreading the Gospel has shifted drastically. Now all churches are different, but many people today hold misconceptions about what church is and how they approach the Gospel. Here are 5 common misconceptions about church and what many of today’s non-denominational churches are like.
- Church is only for people who already have a devout belief in Jesus.
One of the biggest things that hold people back from going and engaging in church is the idea that they do not fit the “mold” of a Christian. In actuality, most, if not all, of today’s local churches have the goal to meet you wherever you are at in your faith. They give messages that communicate the Word to anyone, whether you do not believe in God, or you have been following Him your entire life. Churches like Mill City Church work to make the Gospel accessible to all, so that anyone can explore their faith in God.
2. Church is just someone reading passages out of the Bible.
Another incorrect view of many of today’s churches is that it is just a pastor reading outdated parables and stories from the Bible. While the message is centered around scripture and passages of the Bible, the pastors are able to communicate the meaning behind it in ways that relate to our life in the 21st century, taking the principles of God’s word and applying it to life, questions, and struggles that people face today. In addition, the messages are almost always engaging and find ways to tie in humor and communicate the most accurate message of the Bible.
3. Church is boring and hard to sit through
A lot of people likely hold the traditional view of church: Pews, Choir singing hymns, and a less than exciting facility. With most of the non-denominational churches today, this is far from the norm. What makes these local churches today like Timberline, Mill City, and Mountain View far from boring is the way in which they engage the community and make pursuing faith fun. While every church is different, many churches are shifting from the traditional style with the changing culture and trends. Churches like Mill City hold concert-style worship sessions that use full bands and current worship music that allows attendees to engage in praising God with music that is also upbeat and energetic. Nearly every church’s facility is different too, with some in conventional style buildings and others in more modern places. Overall, most of the local churches provide a space for the churchgoer to truly engage God and the message in a way that they are comfortable with.
4. Sundays are the only time I can go to church
It makes sense that people could hold this notion since most every church congregates on Sunday, but most churches host many more events throughout the week to get involved. Timberline is one of the many Fort Collins churches that have so many ways to get plugged in to faith outside of the typical Sunday service. In addition, nearly every church has some form of media tied into their service, meaning that even outside of Sunday, anyone can view/hear the message and other content from the church.
5. Church feels alienating and judgmental
While it is definitely a subjective idea, most of the churches today work so strongly to create a deep community within the church. They aim to make environments as welcoming and open as possible, showing a lot of times that people are not alone in their struggles, sins, and other areas that can make someone feel isolated around the typical “Christian”. Mill City, for example, has teams to welcome people in and often uses the messages to help bring the community closer.
