Denise Garcia- Church Visit #2

Church Name: Lawndale Community Church

Church Address: 3827 W Ogden, Chicago, IL 60623

Date Attended: October 25, 2015

Church Category: Lower socioeconomic demographic

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?

On Sunday I attended Lawndale Community Church whose members are mostly from the nearby low-income neighborhoods. Overall, the worship service I attended was similar to my regular context. We were welcomed by enthusiastic greeters, and the service included a call to worship, announcements, worship, and ended with a benediction. One of the differences included having the police commander of the district introduce himself and address the congregation asking them to pray for his work and help keep the community safe. Another difference is that before Pastor Wayne Gordon preached, he asked the children to come up on stage not only to pray for them and dismiss them to sunday school, but he also taught a short lesson to them as a way to connect the adult congregation with the children.

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What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?

In their website, Lawndale Community Church states their mission is “to redeem the “Lawndale Community”... to bring holistic revitalization to the lives and environment of its residents.” The most appealing aspect of the worship service was Prayer and Praise where people stand and tell the congregation about things they’re grateful for and for those things they would want prayer for. I felt that the Prayer and Praise part was really powerful because it testified to the work God is continuing to do in Lawndale through the church and the other resources it provides. Prayer and Praise also allowed the people to be known by the community on a more personal level, and it also had a way of deepening the bond among the people in the church. I specifically remember when Pastor Gordon welcomed back a church member whose prayer request was answered through his restored health.

What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?

In his message that Sunday about emotions and the power of the tongue, Pastor Gordon used examples about crime and violence. It was hard to hear and realize that similar events of crime and violence happen on a regular basis in Lawndale and are very real and can even be considered part of what is normal for the church members.

What aspects of Scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived as clearly in your regular context?

The worship service illuminated the power of Christ to me, especially His power to truly set people free. In Lawndale, having Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior means being able to live victoriously through Christ--free from things like drug addiction, participating in violent crimes, murder, and harmful and abusive relationships. Church members come without pretense; they come just as they are and testify openly about serious personal struggles. I don’t think I have ever heard so many personal testimonies about real and ongoing struggles in a regular Sunday service.