Emma Sargent -- Church Visit #3

Church Name: Uptown Baptist Church

Church Address: 1011 W. Wilson Ave., Chicago, IL 60640

Date Attended: October 25, 2015

Church category: Different ethnic or racial demographic 

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

This church felt like a very large family; as people filtered in at the beginning of the service, the noise level swelled with greetings and laughter. I was here as a part of the Wheaton College Concert Choir – we sang as people came in. It was strange to be in front of the congregation instead of a part of it, especially as visitors. But after the pastor introduced us and we sang worship songs with them, I could tell that this was a very relaxed and welcoming church. After our time of worship, there was an extended period of announcements; we then sang an offertory, and then sat back down. As it was apparently pastor appreciation Sunday, there was then a long time of pastor appreciation; there were at least four pastors, and five or six different elders and deacons gave short speeches on how they appreciated the service these pastors were doing. The tone of the service and the familial atmosphere reminded me of my home church in rural Vermont. The preacher spoke directly to the people in the congregation, referencing neighborhood events in his sermon.

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

As I mentioned above, the atmosphere of the church service was very welcoming and relaxed. It seemed like this was a church that was willing to laugh at itself. At one point in the series of pastor-appreciation speeches, the American flag on the stage fell over. Two of the young men spent about five minutes trying to fix the flag stand as people in the congregation chuckled and the pastors were given another gift from the church youth. I could tell that the people in this church knew each other very well, and were ready to support one another in their faith.  

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

As mentioned, I was with a group of Wheaton College students – however, we were some of the only white people in the service. I was surprised by how conspicuous I felt. While I was very grateful for the welcome of the congregation – all the people I “greeted” in the passing of the peace were very kind – it was hard not to feel out of place. We were also singing pieces that were decidedly different from the church’s usual style of worship – intentionally so. It was a chance to share worship styles, but I found myself wondering if we were facilitating or inhibiting worship at the church.

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

Despite my self-consciousness, I left the service struck by the warmth of the people and the joy of the community. I grew up in a very small church in rural Vermont, and in some ways this service reminded me of that community. It was relaxed, friendly, and funny. I could see that the people there loved each other and were close to one another. I go to a relatively large church here at Wheaton. Uptown Baptist Church reminded me of the beauty of the body of Christ – how a congregation can become almost literally brothers and sisters to each other. This was encouraging to see.