Chris Kil - Church Visit #2

Church name: Lawndale Christian Community Church

Church address: 3827 W. Ogden, Chicago, Illinois 60623 

Date attended: October 25, 2015

Church category: Significantly lower socioeconomic demographic 

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

I attended the 11 o' clock service at Lawndale Christian Community Church on October 25th. In terms of structure, the majority of the service seemed pretty similar to my regular context. With both children and adults, the worship service started off with songs of praise then a call to worship with one member reading Matthew 11:28-30. Afterwards, the church choir sang in front of the congregation, in which a few members stood up from their seats to sing along. Then another member went up to the stage to read James 3:3-10 and this was followed by a word from the commander of the 10th district, Commander Frank Valadez (only for this week.) When he was finished, Coach Wayne Gordon called up the children on stage to have their own "private" Sunday school lesson before officially dismissing them to their classes. As soon as the children left, everyone in the congregation got up to sing the congregational song. Then we all sat back down and there was a time dedicated to prayer and praise, in which anyone was allowed to ask for prayer or share a praise in front of the congregation (open mic style.) Coach Gordon preached toward the end of the service, which is different from my regular context. The children's message was also something unfamiliar.

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

One of the most appealing aspects of the service was when Coach Gordon called up the children. The adults would still hear Coach talking, as he left his microphone on but he would huddle up the children around him and make it seem like they were having a secret conversation. I liked this because, as I stated in the previous question, it was unfamiliar but it served as a good reminder that the children are also considered part of the congregation, not just the adults, since today it has become more common for the children to either be in separate services from the beginning or dismissed earlier. In addition, I thought that the communal environment of the church was really appealing. I felt especially welcomed as a visitor, as members who I have never seen before would reach out to shake my hand with a smile across their faces. Even after the service, they would never fail to say 'hello' warmly.

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

Personally, the most challenging part of the service was when some of the church members got up to share some of their prayer requests or praises. It was the content of their prayer requests and praises as well as the willingness to be vulnerable in front of everyone, even newcomers, that really struck me. Each person would openly talk about issues he or she was personally facing or the community of Lawndale is particularly struggling with and ask for prayer. It was particularly challenging for me because they had talked about issues that I have not dealt with before and may not have to deal with ever; some issues were a lot realer heard in person than read in the newspapers or news sites. This moment open my eyes to a perspective of the world I was blind to and allowed me to realize once again that my "world" is a lot smaller than I thought it was.

What aspects of Scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived clearly in your regular context?
At Lawndale, I was able to witness God's grace and faithfulness as well as the significance of the church in a different context. Some of the members have gone through rough experiences involving matters such as drugs and alcohol or have gone to prison for a crime. Yet by the grace of God, each of them has been brought to Lawndale Christian Community Church and are now living a life of faith. Though I only attended one service, I was still able to see God at work in this church and it amazed me to see the church members encourage one another and hold each other accountable. The way in which many members were able to share their stories in front of the whole congregation displays their trust in the church and ultimately God.