Belief-o-Matic

At my Chalice Circle (small group ministry) last night, we were talking about the Belief-o-Matic quiz. I first took the quiz a couple of years ago, when I was still active in Church Hopping-- in fact, it was a greeter at First Unitarian that pointed Bradley and myself toward the quiz.

My results haven't changed. My awareness of my beliefs and my morals has definitely heightened since I joined Heritage, but I still am who I am and I believe what I believe.

I'm proud to be a humanist-- not because of what a quiz told me, of course, but because I feel we should take responsibility for our actions, good and bad.

If you haven't taken the quiz, do so. Let me know how it pans out for you. Any closet UUs out there?

Outdoor chapel in autumn

The most recent post I made was about HUUC's beautiful new outdoor chapel. I thought I'd pop in and show you some gorgeous pictures of the same chapel, now that it's autumn.


I'm still very close to HUUC. I'm newly involved in our Chalice Circles, which are a type of "small group ministry" that helps us get closer to members in smaller numbers. As we grow as a church, we don't want to lose that sense of person-to-person contact. This is one way of combating those growing pains.

Heritage has also helped me become more involved in the current election. I'm really excited about Tuesday and I hope you'll all be out there voting, even if your views don't align with mine (which I think we've already discovered!).

Here are your Church Hoppers! We miss you!

Outdoor chapel

It's been a while since I've had anything blog-worthy to discuss about HUUC. The church is still "spiritually feeding me," but it's basically a similar experience each time. I don't think that's so odd for a church.

Today, however, threw me for a loop. Half of our service was conducted indoors, and for the second half we were directed to our "new outdoor chapel." We'd been hearing allusions to this chapel for months; it was a Scout project by one of our youth members, Logan. And so, in my head, I expected it to be... I don't know. A lean-to or something?

But as we were lead down a mulched path, through the woods behind Heritage and down the hill, we came to a clearing that gave me goosebumps. There was a small pulpit area at the bottom with a small chalice and a ribbon around it, and there were tons of benches centered around it. I am adding pictures so that you can get a better idea what I'm talking about here, but without a fuller, more panoramic view you can't really get the full effect.

Reverend Bill gave a small speech and let Logan cut the ribbon. As he talked I could not help but look around at the gorgeous woods that almost entirely surrounded our new chapel. There is a small, rarely-used road behind it, but it's overwhelmed by the smell of leaves and the sound of birds. You can see the church if you try, but mostly what you see are trees.

When we were finding our seat, Bradley asked me where I'd like to sit and I said, "Where I can see a tree." This is a joke of course, but what's funny is that every time we sit down in church I sit where I can see the woods through the windows. Bradley doesn't ask where we should sit anymore, but when he used to I always used to reply in the same way, "Where I can see a tree." Now, as if someone rebuilt the church just for me, we've been transplanted (pun?) outside into the very heart of our little piece of forest. (And of course I know that I am not the only one who feels this way; most of the congregation are forest-loving hippie-types. That's why we work.)

If I ever start to doubt my choice to come to Heritage I hope I can remember this day, when I felt renewed and in love with the ideals of my church as if it were the first day all over again.

Another thing that I remember about the very first time we visited Heritage: when Bradley and I were driving away and we had realized that we both wanted to come back, one of the things that we discussed was how cool it would be to just spend some time in the woods. Bradley was into meditation at the time and I was feeling the need to have Somewhere Else to Go in Times of Escape. We talked about finding big rocks and spending some time on our own, centering in the ways that we find work for us individually.

I hope that we make good on that this summer, and find some time to sneak away, find our own corner of Heritage's woods, and make good use of the new outdoor chapel to awaken whatever's lying dormant within us.

Commitment

Tomorrow morning (er, later today-- it's 12:30am!), Bradley and I sign the membership book at Heritage Universalist Unitarian Church. Can you believe it has been something like eight months already?

Wish us luck*!

*I have no idea what luck would do for me... but send me some energy or something!

'Sbeen a long time since I rock-n-roll'd

Hello all! I noticed there are still some people subscribed to this blog, so I thought I'd throw an update your way.

First off, at the beginning of the year I'm starting a new project. If you'd like to follow it and toss me some suggestions, the blog is here: www.YearofPhilanthropy.blogspot.com

I didn't want this post to just be a plug for my new project, but if I can borrow some readers, why the heck not?

Heritage is still awesome. Bradley and I have been visiting more or less every Sunday, with the exception of all of October because of a bunch of traveling I had to do. With the Year of Philanthropy I'm hoping to get a little closer to my church family-- I've been too stressed and busy to fully participate in all the things I'd like to. Hopefully 2008 will change that.

Bradley and I will become members of the church soon. We've already been invited to do so, but it came at a time when things were too hectic to focus on the church and make sure we'd be making a smart decision. But it's definitely in the plans for 2008 as well.

This past weekend, Brad and I attended the Crossroads Christmas show ("Awaited"). We were invited to last year's show, "Imagine," and had a fantastic time-- this year was also a blast. We even brought someone from Heritage! The show was evokative, gorgeous and packed-- I heard they gave away something like 20k tickets?! Before the show they had free coffee, hot chocolate, cookies... plus free family Christmas portraits! Are you kidding?! The whole experience, from the moment we walked in to the moment we left, was inviting and fun. If you want to see what a welcoming congregation looks like, stop by Crossroads some time-- not just for the Xmas show, either. *high fives to the megachurch*

Alright, that's about it for me. Leave me a note at the new blog if you still read this! The project kicks off January 1st. :) I hope you all had a fantastic holiday season!

Heritage updates!

A number of you... albeit a small number... have inquired as to how things are going at Heritage UU Church. I'm more than happy to oblige.

In a nutshell, things are going marvelously. I can honestly say that I understand why many churchgoers churchgo. I did not know a place like this existed and finding a place like Heritage has changed my life for the good.

Some less abstract goings-on:

*Bradley and I attended a Litha (summer solstice) party at a church member's house. There were other congregation members there, as well as members from other UU churches, members of the local pagan organizations, and friends and family of the host. It was an eye-opening and unforgettable experience that culminated in Bradley jumping, fully clothed, into the host's in-ground pool.

*Every other Sunday morning, from 9-10:30am, Heritage holds a religious forum. (The other Sundays are a political forum.) Bradley and I attended the last session ("Heaven and Hell") and this morning's session ("Enlightenment"). Forum is fascinating-- there are such varied schools of thought presented at Heritage... all of them vocal. ;) We want to start visiting the political forum as well, but I'm loathe to relinquish that extra hour of sleep. ;)

*Church members were invited to tour Eastgate's Hindu temple a week or so back, and that was another amazing experience. Not only did we get a mini-tour of the breathtaking temple, but we were encouraged to sit in on a service. It was incredible-- beyond words, really, and something I never would have guessed I'd be doing on a Thursday night in Eastgate.

*As of this morning, I think Bradley and I are on the "communications committee"-- that is, we've volunteered to help structure the HUUC website. *beam* I hope we aren't in over our heads!

*I had my first "solo flight" last week-- Bradley didn't come with me to service, because he was in the HUUC Youth Group. He'll also be joining the Youth Group in August for a retreat that I know little to nothing about. Hahaha...

*Two weeks from now, they're having a service with poetry as a major element, and I was asked to read something of mine! Eek!!

*There is so much other stuff going on in Heritage-- book clubs, film nights, potlucks, yoga classes, folk dancing, Religious Education classes... it can be overwhelming, but in the best possible way. The congregation has been so encouraging (ew, I sound like Jane Goodall or something all of the sudden) and has never pressured us in any way. I find myself always looking forward to something, which is a fantastic feeling for someone who so craves variety and experience.

I'd like to open the floor to any questions about the HUUC experience, hahaha....

Vanish'd

I know, I know, I know. I've been gone for a while, no? Thanks for all the comments while I've been out and about (yes, all of them, even the scary apocalyptic ones).

Until further notice, I guess this blog is on hold while we explore Heritage and UUism. (Quit making the sign of the devil, please.) Bradley and I have found something unique and compelling to the both of us, and we've agreed that what we most want at this time is to explore the church-- to dive in head first and see how it feels.

I don't consider this journey to be over, but I can't say when, if ever, Church Hop will be regularly updated again. If you would like to be notified when something new happens here, email me at redrabbit[at]gmail[dot]com. Or use the RSS feeds, whatevs.

Thank you for your readership, and definitely for your feedback on all matters Church Hop. :)

Church #37: Heritage UU Church REVISITED

Happy belated Memorial Day!

On Sunday, Bradley, dad and I re-visited (or visited for the first time, in dad's case) Heritage Universalist Unitarian Church. We were greeted with the same warm welcome as the first time, directed to make our name tags, etc.

I was able to introduce Bradley and myself to Reverend Gupton, though we weren't able to really talk because he was preparing for the day's service. The service was an emotional one, as the congregation spoke of loved ones they'd lost in the past year. It was a very reflective and sombre service, and it was good to see another side of the church.

My feelings toward Heritage and UUism are positive ones. As soon as my dad writes up his post I'll add it here, and I'm sure Bradley will throw his two cents in soon. Still no decision on how to balance Heritage and Church Hop... any thoughts?!

First Unitarian follow-up letters

It has been a while since we received a non-form letter from a church, so I thought I'd post both letters that we received from First United. (I'm not trying to glib, I just think it's funny that we're getting some "not UU!" attitude, but they do so much to stand out from other churches!)

The first letter we received on Tuesday, from Reverend Sharon Dittmar herself.

The second we received today (Wednesday), from Linda, and though it is more form-y than the first, it still makes specific reference to the blog, etc.

I'm not going to type 'em up... just click 'em and they should be legible.

Church #38: First Unitarian Church of Cincinnati

1. Who attended? Bradley & Erica.

2. CHURCH HOP RANKINGS:
How welcome did you feel at this church?
1: I was so uncomfortable and/or offended that I did not stay to the end of services.
10: This church was welcoming and thought-provoking. I would recommend that others experience this church.

ERICA: 9.5.
BRADLEY: 9, solid nine for being an awesome church

3. Picture(s) of the church

4. Name/location of the church:
First Unitarian Church of Cincinnati
536 Linton Street
Cincinnati, OH 45219
www.firstuu.com

5. Was it recommended to Church Hop?
Nope, but since we liked last week's UU church so much, we thought we should explore others.

6. Time/duration of services:
10:30--11:15ish.

7. What type of religion did the church cater to?
Universalist Unitarianism.

8. Who did you meet?
A woman named Linda greeted us right away, showed us where things were, told us a brief history of the church (it was Taft's home church?!), etc. She also found us after services and introduced us to Reverend Sharon Dittmar.

9. If applicable, scans of handouts, tracts, etc

10. Church Hopper’s personal experience with the church, additional details:

ERICA: As we mentioned last week, the Church Hop project isn't over. We did want to check out other UU churches, and the next closest one that I could find online was off of Reading Road... a half-hour trek from home. (I guess with that in mind, I was kind of hoping to like Heritage a little bit more, haha.)

My first thoughts of the church were about how beautiful it was. Even on the outside, this historical church just appealed to me aesthetically. Gorgeous. And inside was the same story, with brilliant, detailed stained glass (I'm nuts for stained glass), a large historical plaque, etc.

Right away, Linda greeted us and made us feel at home... she didn't pressure us about anything, but let us know what was going on so we didn't feel lost. (It was Youth Sunday-- more on that in a second.) We had name tags within minutes, and she said that she'd find us after the service.

Youth Sunday was really cool to sit in on-- they let all the high school students take complete control over the service. There was music and a skit and all the components of a regular service, but they ran everything. Many of them were graduating seniors, and there was a small send-off for them, too. While I wish that I could have heard Reverend Dittmar run a service, it was a very warm thing to take part in.

Oh, and they asked their visitors to stand, which I hate-- but they at least did word it as "if you feel comfortable doing so, please stand." I at least felt as though it were my choice to feel humiliated, haha. I think there was one other pair of visitors, who stood after we stood, and everyone clapped. Eek.

After service, just as she promised, Linda found us and introduced us to Reverend Dittmar. She welcomed us again and we told her that we had visited Heritage last week, and were curious about other UU churches. She supported the decision and we told her we'd visit again some day, which we almost definitely will.

I know that a lot of Church Hop readers have expressed their distaste for the UU faith, but today definitely backed up the way I felt about Heritage. Even hearing the words of the high school students today... they were so open and accepting, all about equality and choice. This is definitely something I want in my life, even if I haven't figured out in what capacity just yet. ;)

Brad: I can't really believe that in such a short time, Erica and I have found such a deep connection with an idea like these. It's not that I'm captivated by the idea of a new thing, but that idea of me getting excited about going to a church with a group of people who share the same thoughts I have. That's why it felt good to go to another Unitarian church, because I knew we would probably get an experience close to the one we had last Sunday.

The first thing you should know about this church is that it's magnificently beautiful. I mean, just really amazing, between the large architecture, and the stained glass, it really tied the church together. Upon entering, Erica and I were greeted quickly, and very kindly by a group of women who seemed more than eager to explain what and who they were.

After some brief introductions, and explanations of the goings-on, we moved into our seats to welcome the message-given by their high school members. I always feel a little weird receiving a message by kids my age, but overall, they did a pretty good job. Anyway, I was totally blown away by the fact that they played Zeppelin during the offering, and it had a lot to do with following your dreams-which was the overall message. Like I said, they did a good job, but I would also like to come back when their regular Reverend Dittmar is speaking.

One thing Erica mentioned, that I wanted to talk about, is that they made the visitors of the church stand up to be viewed by the entire congregation. This really doesn't bother me too much, as I know it really bothers Erica. I don't know, it might just be past experience for her-but I feel like people can already spot a visitor, and is already started the process of viewing us as such. So I guess it's just not that big of a problem for me. Oh well.

Anyway, not a bad church, but definitely a church worth going back to again.

Church #37: Heritage Universalist Unitarian Church

1. Who attended? Bradley & Erica.

2. CHURCH HOP RANKINGS:
How welcome did you feel at this church?
1: I was so uncomfortable and/or offended that I did not stay to the end of services.
10: This church was welcoming and thought-provoking. I would recommend that others experience this church.

ERICA: 10?
BRADLEY: I think this might actually be my first 10.

3. Picture(s) of the church

4. Name/location of the church:
Heritage Universalist Unitarian Church
2710 Newtown Road
Cincinnati, OH 45244
http://huuc.net

5. Was it recommended to Church Hop?
No, but people have been suggesting that we step outside the traditional Christian church (and really, that was the idea from the beginning... it's just easier said than done). Also, I had heard about UU churches when I was in college but was never able to visit one.

6. Time/duration of services:
10:30--noon.

7. What type of religion did the church cater to?
Universalist Unitarian, and thus many religions.

8. Who did you meet?
Many people... lots of fellowship. Several Bobs.

9. If applicable, scans of handouts, tracts, etc

10. Church Hopper’s personal experience with the church, additional details:

ERICA: Well well well. Didn't really see this coming.

Service was over hours ago, but I'm still a little floored to have found so many of my "prayers" answered today. I'm really not sure where to start.

This project, as I have mentioned before, was never really about finding a church home. It was about an exploration and personal growth. That being said, where has this church been all my life?

Let me back up. Last night, I watched a religious debate, which left me incredibly frustrated. We had some churches still on the queue, but they were more of the same sects we've already visited, and I needed something else. UU has always been in the back of my mind because a professor mentioned it to me once, when I was in college. He said they were about questioning faith, and that interested me (though not enough to hunt them down, until just now).

So I Google'd "Universalist Unitarian" and my zip code, and voila... the internet did what the internet does and I had this church. I was excited to be doing something new and unfamiliar.

We found the church with no problem. Parked in the first time visitor spot, across from a Rav4 with an Obama '08 bumper sticker. There was a lot of green... trees and flowers and a little garden.

When we walked in, everyone was clamoring for one another's attention-- hugging and congesting the lobby with small talk and handshakes. Very loud and very upbeat (though yes, something difficult to walk into as an outsider). We got our program and found our seats.

I'm a sucker for windows. This church had bare walls, few if any decorations anywhere... but a giant, round window in the front of the auditorium (the way we were facing), and tall windowed doors to our left, which looked out into more green green green. The windows were the first thing I noticed-- the second was the lack of the cross, or of any religious artifact whatsoever. (Anyone who knows about UU is probably bored with this post already, but I knew very little going into this.)

Bells to start service. Bells to transition. Hymns about life, compassion, the Earth... not a mention of God, Jesus, higher powers. [Edit: Reverend Bill Gupton has informed me that they do mention God, but they "don't tell you what God is."] Silent reflection (I loved this so much) instead of guided prayer. "Sharing our abundance" instead of holy offerings. A segment called "How We Serve": this week's was about the church's Green Team's new compost heap. Welcoming new members, where the congregation pledged to "renew our covenant to seek and speak the truth, to love one another, and to serve humankind in fellowship."

Is this not what I've been talking about for a year now? Being a good person, serving your community and your fellow human beings, without the threat of hell or the promise of heaven? A journey and a search and the ability-- the encouraged ability-- to question and to doubt?

This is not a church without religion-- they still watch movies about religion, hold forums with religious discussion, have an entire religious education department... but during services, it isn't necessarily about invoking The One Power and swearing allegiance. I could not be happier to know this exists.

Celebrating Life, Creating Community, Seeking Justice. ...Yes, please.

Now I know I've gone way tangential, because this blog was supposed to be heading toward a "welcome" notion. But today I found something I really needed to find, so grant me this.

And the church was welcoming, though not in any specific way that I've outlined with other churches. There was a guest registry, some hand-holding during Benediction, some quick fellowship, open invitations. But finally the way I think and feel and believe was welcomed, in a way I hadn't really found yet.

Bradley and I want to go back. Bradley expressed the desire before I asked him about it, which is just one more thing that tells me this was a great thing. But neither of us want to give up this project-- we aren't done with it yet. We're considering Hopping every other week, and on the other Sundays re-visiting HUU to see if it gives us that same feeling consistently. Any suggestions on how else to keep exploring, while maaaaybe considering giving the church home thing a try?

Brad: Wow. Just wow. This church really blew me away, and put me in a place that is the hardest thing to put into words that I've ever had to face. This church really put my mind in an awkward place-but a place that was so foreign it wasn't entirely a bad experience. In fact, quite the opposite. This church was like nothing I had ever been to, and to be honest, I'm liking it more and more.

I had a good feeling about this place upon entering when I saw that one of the cars outside had a sticker reading "Obama '08". This put a grin on my face that would last the entire duration of my experience at this church. When Erica and I walked in, there was no crucifix on the wall, and no large cross on the wall behind the pastor. It was simply a clean white room, with simple architecture and a large amount of folding chairs. The end of the room had a large circular window that outlooked into a sort of courtyard that would later be mentioned.

We sat down and took it all in. I was already thinking this would be a good time (which was later proved right) because (for some odd reason in my mind) it looked like all of the people here were science teachers. It might have been the high "beard rate" or the intelligence level, but something just gave me that vibe.

The whole service started, but with the (and not complete, but lowered) absence of God related references, and the induction of several new members who all were "tired of the guilt" of other religions. They were all shrugging off their old ways to bring on this new way of thinking. It was around this time that I was thinking I could be doing the same thing.

I don't know if it's just the idea of being able to keep the same thought I have right now, and just apply them within a community of people who are all in the same boat, looking for the same type of answers. It just was very appealing to me, and it's still brewing in the back of my mind. While the goers of the church seem a bit wiser, it'll still be nice to be with people of the same thought process behind what we want in life. Plus, I noticed a man interested in eastern thought, something I'm finding has more and more to offer.

I'm hoping that giving this church a shot will pay off.

Church #36: Greater Cincinnati Church of God

1. Who attended? Bradley & Erica.

2. CHURCH HOP RANKINGS:
How welcome did you feel at this church?
1: I was so uncomfortable and/or offended that I did not stay to the end of services.
10: This church was welcoming and thought-provoking. I would recommend that others experience this church.

ERICA: 5.
BRADLEY: 4.

3. Picture(s) of the church
N/A. Sorry I didn't get a better head-on picture!

4. Name/location of the church:
Greater Cincinnati Church of God
8290 Batavia Pike
Cincinnati, OH 45244
No known website.

5. Was it recommended to Church Hop?
Nope; we passed it en route to last week's church.

6. Time/duration of services:
10:45am--something like 12:30pm.

7. What type of religion did the church cater to?
Aye yi yi. Church of God?

8. Who did you meet?
I feel like I might have shaken nearly every congregation member's hand-- this church was wildly welcoming. I didn't take away any names, however.

9. If applicable, scans of handouts, tracts, etc

10. Church Hopper’s personal experience with the church, additional details:

ERICA: First off, "Church of God" is so vague. I've been Hopping for a year now and sometimes I'm frustrated that I still can't tell some sects apart. Remember this Church of God? There were definitely similar elements in this church, but it was also largely different. I guess it all boils down to the fact that every church is different, right?

So first off, how welcome did I feel? Very. Maybe too much so? It can be a little intimidating when you walk into a church and everyone *immediately* recognizes you as a new visitor. Still, before we were even inside the door we were being greeted. One woman invited us to a breakfast that was just ending. Another woman gave me information about the church.

(Quick side note: Bradley's a person too. He's 16 years old, so sometimes it really bothers me when people speak only to me at a church. It happens more than you'd think. People hand me one visitor card, or one program, and often act as though Bradley isn't there. Now, this wasn't completely the case at this church, but it's still something I want to sound off about.)

After we found our seats, there was more fellowship. More hand shaking, more small talk. All fine and dandy-- this church was incredibly social and tight-knit, or at least seemed that way. We were definitely welcomed, though I think only one person asked our names.

The church was pretty large, itself... kind of barnlike, as you can see from the picture on top of this post. Tall ceilings, loud music, lots of involvment (Can I get an "Amen"?). The pastor (is that the right term, in the Church of God? Pastor?) was energetic-- reminded me of an auctioneer, at times.

Oh, and just when I thought I'd seen every possible communion method... this time, during the music, a few people took communion on their own. No one ever said anything about it... just a handful of people did it, alone. This church also has Wednesday night services, so I would guess that's when they do a ritual communion. But that's a guess.

Brad: Well, this church was very interesting. I can remember driving by it as it was being built, and it's a realitivly large church in itself, which was painted and presented pretty nicely. Anyway, this church was so welcoming it almost hurt. It's very nice to be greeted into something that's so personal for most people, but it's even more awkward to be cast as a "visitor" with just a simple glance, like Erica said.

They went through a run of announcements, and some people were still coming in and out, and kids running through the halls, and the band was still getting some mic problems out the way. And older gentleman came up and handed Erica and I some hard candy with a scripture passage on it. A nice gesture, but a little unexpected.

Anyway, this church couldn't have had more than 50 people, which I've found is pretty small for a church, but they all seemed to have a clue and hand in what was going on. The music started, and it was very loud. It wasn't so loud I couldn't stand it, but they could have afforded to tone it down a bit, considering the projector was shaking because of the amplification.

After a while of songs, the preacher came up. This guy had some good things to say, but a style I wasn't much used to. It was very high paced and loud. I could only think of one thing during, which is "if you highlight everything, you highlight nothing". It just really turned me off, because he had such a high energy thing going.

I guess I just couldn't help feel very odd in this church.

Church #35: Solid Rock Church

1. Who attended? Bradley & Erica.

2. CHURCH HOP RANKINGS:
How welcome did you feel at this church?
1: I was so uncomfortable and/or offended that I did not stay to the end of services.
10: This church was welcoming and thought-provoking. I would recommend that others experience this church.

ERICA: 4.
BRADLEY: 4, the message really took it down.

3. Picture(s) of the church

4. Name/location of the church:
Solid Rock Church
904 N. Union Drive
Monroe, OH 45050
www.solidrockchurch.org

5. Was it recommended to Church Hop?
Yes! A bunch of readers have asked that we visit the church with Touchdown Jesus.

6. Time/duration of services:
9:00am--10:ooam.

7. What type of religion did the church cater to?
I'm not positive, but the church reminded me a lot of this one, so I'm going to guess that they're Baptist. If anyone wants to clear this up for me, feel free.

8. Who did you meet?
We went to the visitor center, where we exchanged our visitor cards for CDs of one of their sermons, but the friendly girl manning the booth seemed too busy to talk. There was a nice man near the center who asked us where we were from, but I didn't get his name.

9. If applicable, scans of handouts, tracts, etc

10. Church Hopper’s personal experience with the church, additional details:

ERICA: Happy anniversary, Church Hop! This year has been so eye-opening for me... so rewarding. In honor of our one year, Bradley and I decided to visit Solid Rock Church, famous for its giant King of Kings statue.

The megachurch itself is pretty amazing... huge and elaborate, easily navigable and clearly easy to find. We attended the early service, and the entire bottom floor was filled by the time it started... I'd guess that the 11:30 service is even fuller. We say in the balcony to get a good view of everything, and there weren't too many people up there.

The music was fanTASTIC. I was so excited to hear the full-blown gospel that they had, especially because that's something Bradley really likes. Everyone was standing and clapping the rhythm and singing along, so there was an amazing energy.

Unfortunately, this was one of those churches with beliefs very different from mine. (With a name like Solid Rock Church, I really had no expectations about what kind of belief system it had... though the giant Jesus might have given me an inkling.) I won't go into detail (I do listen to reader feedback, you know) but the sermon was very much like the First Baptist Church of Glen Este, so while the sermon was high-octane and passionate, I found myself emotionally tuning out the bulk of it.

As far as actually feeling welcome-- and that's the point of this, isn't it?-- they pulled the single-you-out-if-you're-new stuff that I'm not a huge fan of, but they were largely welcoming. They made it very clear that n00bs were welcome, they had a visitor center, information on the church, etc. Nothing else particularly caught my eye.

BRADLEY: First of all, let me start by saying something similar to Erica, and that is, we finally got to visit the Touch Down Jesus Church. For the visiters of I-275, it's a real treat to see that giant Jesus lighting up the way. (FYI, there is a theater behind him) Now I can brag to all those of the Facebook group saying "I've seen the big butter Jesus"

Enought about that.

Well this church started off grEAt. (as Tony the Tiger would put it) When we finally found a spot to park, and went inside, I was blown away at how large it was. Erica told me the website said it had around 3000 members, I can see how. But regardless of the size, this church still looked amazing. The stage was huge, and there was a giant neon blue (neon light, not neon colored paint) dove on the ceiling. Erica and I took seats right above the tech-booth. I love me a good tech booth.

Like I said, the music blew me away how good it was. They had a lot of spirit, and a whole lot of talent. The lead vocalist was really givin' it his all, and the choir behind him totally backing him up with the kind of sound only a large church congregation could make. The music was totally worth the trip.

But then came the speaker.

Let me first start off with saying he was a good speaker, in the sense of his actual speaking ability. His voice was a little raspy, in the good kind of way, the kind that holds your attention, and he would start to build up his sentaces when he talked, and got people excited with a large "AMEN". But the message was less than desirable to me. It just really disagreed with what I believe personally, because of so many things he mentioned, mostly to do with abortion, gay rights and George Bush.
So all in all, the music was some of the best I've heard yet, but the message really hurt my view of this church.

(note: my spelling is a little bad, I'm not using the grammer correcting Firefox, but rather IE)

Agnostic Advice

Look what I found!

Happy Almost-Birthday, Jared!

I'm not sure where you're reading from, but in my part of Ohio it was *gorgeous* this weekend. And as one of my best friend's birthdays is fast-approachin', we went camping to celebrate.

I wanted to go to church, but camping makes one scummy. There was a really cute church (stained glass windows, a small graveyard in back) near the campground, but I was in no condition to enter. Ick. :)

In other news, we've made over EIGHT DOLLARS (ooooooh!) through Ad Sense. They only cut you a check once you've racked up $10, so if you want to see a church bring in that kind of sweet bank, you'd better start clicking things more dilligently. Should I add more stuff?

P.S. Next Sunday will be our first anniversary! We have big plans...

Church #34: Mother of Christ Catholic Church

1. Who attended? Bradley & Erica.

2. CHURCH HOP RANKINGS:
How welcome did you feel at this church?
1: I was so uncomfortable and/or offended that I did not stay to the end of services.
10: This church was welcoming and thought-provoking. I would recommend that others experience this church.

ERICA: 9!
BRADLEY: 8, for great music, and a great time

3. Picture(s) of the church

4. Name/location of the church:
Mother of Christ Catholic Church
5301 Winneste Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45232
http://motherofchrist.homestead.com/

5. Was it recommended to Church Hop?
Yes! I met Ena during a computer class I was taking, and she pointed me toward her home church. (Thank you so much for the recommendation!)

6. Time/duration of services:
10:30am--noonish.

7. What type of religion did the church cater to?
Catholic.

8. Who did you meet?
I was able to introduce Bradley to Ena and her son. Yea!

9. If applicable, scans of handouts, tracts, etc

10. Church Hopper’s personal experience with the church, additional details:

ERICA: Bradley and I have been very interested in visiting more... diverse churches than we have been. While each church is a new experience for us, they've mostly had... let me just say this... predominately white congregations. I hope the distinction doesn't offend anyone. It's just the truth.

I was incredibly excited when Ena invited me to Mother of Christ. For one thing, it's a major honor when people invite us to their church at all, because it's such a personal and trusting gesture. But it also took us out of our tiny Eastgate comfort zones, which is so much of the idea of Church Hop in the first place. Go do new things, visit new places, meet new people. All that jazz.

Bradley and I made a 40 minute trek to step out of those comfort zones, and we were rewarded with an incredible experience at Mother of Christ. The people were so warm and inviting, well before Ena showed up and took us under her wing. One woman brought us each visitor cards attached to small name tags so that people might address us by name-- no one had offered us that before. Other people stopped at our aisle on the way to their seats just to welcome us or shake our hands.

The music was incredible-- a passionate, gospel feel that carried on through the entire service. Before offering, during communion, after the sermon... whenever there was a pause, there was energetic gospel to fill in the holes. One woman in the choir signed along with the music beautifully, which was another thing I hadn't seen before but it added a great layer to my experience.

Communion passed without incidence, to my delight. The pastor gave a warm, relevant and briefish sermon. The woman doing the announcements welcomed us by name (visitor cards!) and the congregation welcomed us in unison.

A lot of my experience came from Ena, too... though she tried to keep her distance during the service so that we could pull our own experience from it. Still, she whispered page numbers to us so that we could follow along (a LOT easier in a borrowed missal than in a Bible, by the way), and afterwards she told us about the beautiful mosaics and murals in and on the church. There were wall-sized scenes of religious moments, with members of the congregation depicted in the scenes.

Sometimes I wish more churches had art like that, but I know it's not every church's style. Still, Mother of Christ was beautiful to me in so many ways. I appreciate being invited, and I especially appreciate being welcomed before anyone even knew I was invited.

BRADLEY: Well, Erica and I finally reached out to a farther church than we normally go to visit Mother of Christ Catholic church. I have to say, the journey (although mapquested) was very much worth it.

This was a great church, and so much more diverse than I'm used to, so it was a really awesome experience to collect and gather views from other areas of the community. Upon entering, I noticed that this dumped us out right into the main auditorium, and even though Erica and I were a little early, there were already people setting up and hanging out. We grabbed some seats, and I had a good chance to look around. The building was an older building. I could tell everything had been used, but in a good way.

The service started, and I was dipped in some of the best singing I have ever heard come out of a church. The choir, which had around 12+ people were just singing their hearts out, which made it really easy to just get lost in the words. It was really something special. Erica's friend Ena (who invited us) was there to help us along through the service. (which was really helpful) That's what is really hard about Catholic churches, but this church wasn't as formal as some of the Catholic churches we've been to, which I really liked, just for the sake of it being new.

Then the pastor came up to give his sermon, which was all around too brief, because I would have liked the chance to hear him get into a larger service, to hear what he had to say. He seemed like a really cool guy, and while I wasn't always in complete comprehension of what he was saying, he delivered a powerful message. During our greeting, people were hugging me and shaking hands, and going out of their way (even the singers came down) just to say hello. That rocked.

Usually when we visit a church, you can see who is there just to say then went to church, and you can see the people who are there to get in touch with their community and reach out with some fellowship. At this church, I saw more people trying to reach out then I've ever seen.

Easter Sunday

Happy Easter Sunday!

First off, if you haven't read yesterday's post about advertising, please do so, and leave me some helpful comments. :D

Now then, to churchin'!

Bradley and I definitely wanted to visit a church today... but it's Easter. When we visited Catholic churches during Lent, we took away a different experience than one would normally get. Right? So we didn't want to visit a church on Easter, knowing full well that it wouldn't be a regular church experience.

Soooo, we did something we've been wanting to do for a while: we re-visited our first church. That church, Loveland United Methodist Church, was our big foray into the project, back when we had no idea what we were getting into. We'd had no basic for comparison either, so Bradley and I have always wondered what it would be like to go back.

LUMC was very welcoming, again. Some things had changed-- there are video screens now, and an elaborate sound system, for instance-- but for the most part it felt much like it did the first time (almost a year ago!). We did get to hear the pastor speak, though-- last year, they had a guest speaker when we were there.

We didn't want this post to be the same as a regular Church Hop post, because we don't plan to start re-visiting churches right and left. But it was nice to spend Easter at a church that had great meaning for us.

Happy Easter, everyone, whatever you believe!

Mad Scratch

Ahoy, Church Hop readers! (No, this is not a notice about how we aren't going to hop this week... we absolutely intend to.)

On the left side and bottom of the site, Bradley and I have added some AdSense elements. The site has been seeing abnormal traffic lately, and we thought we'd give The Man a try. HOWEVER, this comes with a stipulation that hopefully you can get behind. Bradley and I will be donating any money that we amass from the ads on Church Hop. We currently give $2 ($1 each) to the church that we visit, and if things go well with AdSense, we'd like to add that income to our "tithes."

Does that sound right to you? Comment with some feedback, positive or negative. If you want to support the Hop, click on some links why don'tcha? In the next couple of months we'll be playing with which ads work, if they work at all, so things might change a little. Just to give you a heads up. :)

Thanks for your interest in Church Hop (even if you hate the project-- after all, that generates hits, too). We'll keep you updated on our AdSense venture.

Church #33: Love & Faith Christian Center

1. Who attended? Bradley & Erica.

2. CHURCH HOP RANKINGS:
How welcome did you feel at this church?
1: I was so uncomfortable and/or offended that I did not stay to the end of services.
10: This church was welcoming and thought-provoking. I would recommend that others experience this church.

ERICA: 8.
BRADLEY: 7, this was an awesome church.

3. Picture(s) of the church

4. Name/location of the church:
Love & Faith Christian Center
3946 Hopper Hill Road
Cincinnati, OH 45255
http://www.loveandfaith.com/

5. Was it recommended to Church Hop?
Not originally, but I guess on last week's post, Gail pointed us in their direction. :)

6. Time/duration of services:
11:00--12:30pm.

7. What type of religion did the church cater to?
Christian.

8. Who did you meet?
Bradley saw his Spanish teacher & his wife when we were leaving (hi Mr. & Mrs. Smith!), so I suppose that counts.

9. If applicable, scans of handouts, tracts, etc

10. Church Hopper’s personal experience with the church, additional details:

ERICA: First off, everyone was supposed to give out this card to people who might want to visit for next Sunday's Easter services. So there you go-- I am officially inviting anyone who reads this blog to visit Love & Faith Christian Center. All the details are on that little Check Your Baggage card. :)

And now onto my opinions. I really felt very welcome at this church (once I FOUND the place). We were welcomed immediately upon entering the church, and everyone around us seemed friendly. The very first point inside the weekly program, right under the date, is "A special welcome to our first-time visitors!" and while the program doesn't have the schedule of what happens during a service, it does make it clear that Love & Faith is very active within their community and within their own circle.

The service started with a lot of music that people really got behind. Many people stayed seated, but this was definitely a time for rowdy worship. Nearly every pew was filled, and everyone seemed enthusiastic to be there.

After the music and an adorable moment with the children (they sang songs with Spanish verses and elements of American Sign Language!), communion started. It was a pass-the-tray kind of communion, which I find myself looking forward to every time. So much less stress, and another sign that this church does open its arms to visitors.

I found myself really having a good time during the sermon, which is something I don't say often. Pastor Dale Campfield was very funny, very engaging, very off-the-cuff. His sermon was entertaining and grounded in real-life messages. He directed certain parts of the sermon toward particularly members of the congregation, including pulling up an elderly member who had been there since the church started.

This church gave off that one-big-family vibe, and I found that incredibly comfortable (barring the part where we had to stand up and pray with specific people... I wasn't sure how to handle that right away). I'm still recommending that they put their website on their marquee, but on the whole I feel like they had their hearts in the right place.

Brad: Well, starting off with this church being seemingly impossible to find, (turns out we missed it by one turn) it was extremely welcome, and very upbeat. It's always very satisfying to go to a church that I see often (it's right by the highway), it really fills me with a feeling of accomplishment. Which is much attributed to Erica, so thanks sis. This project rocks.

Anywho, I noticed this church had just remodeled one of it's sides, which I could tell just by the look that it was trying to reach out to the younger side of their church, which I'm finding out is a large step for a church to take. I usually talk about their connection to people of my age (because they're my age) but it seems like it's a much more complicated process than I've given credit for.

The church seats in the main auditorium were very close together, which pushed a forced togetherness that I didn't love, but at the same time I didn't hate. I guess we were lucky to even have seats, because this place was packed. It was filled with all sorts of people, varying in a wide range of ages. They went through their announcements and a few songs with the kids. That always makes me feel awkward-kid songs.

Then it moved on to the pastor, which I just loved. I met my former spanish teacher Mr. Smith there, and he informed me that Pastor Campfield used to the a youth minister, which I guess that's why I liked the way he gave his sermon so much. He just had a certain look about him that was confident, and very knowledgeable about his subject. This was a just a cool church, that's really starting to grow on me.

(Insert Church Name Here)

We tried, very hard, to go to church.

There's a church that you can see from 275, which appears to be right off the Beechmont exit. I pass this church every weekday when I drive to work, and it has a big marquee. Unfortunately, they only use the marquee for inspiration, not fact. No address, no directions, and... surprisingly enough... no website. I'm positive this church HAS a website, so why they don't flash it on their jumbotron is beyond me.

Finally one day I caught their service times (8:30 and 11am, I believe), and so Bradley and I decided to try to find it. Certainly there was a sign or something, near the correct road? This morning we spent an hour driving along the back roads of Beechmont, searching for a church that seemed to be right off the exit. Finally we gave up when services would have been starting.
Soooooo... this seems like common sense, but let me put this out there for any church in a situation like this: flash me a dang website. If you have a huge, eye-catching marquee, the very best thing you can do for me is USE IT to tell me how to get there. They had other messages that implied that they wanted me to visit-- various "Come as you are!" type messages-- which is fantastic, but does me no good when I can't find your freakin' church.

Maybe I just haven't seen the website or the address-- but for looking at it at least five times a week... well, it just shouldn't be that difficult, should it?