Rios De Agua Viva Christian Pentecostal Church

The people there were very welcoming and kind. The shook every single person hand and greeted them genially when they walked in. As I sat down, there was a countdown till when it begins. There were seats all around and in the center they had a stage, where there were people preparing to sing. They began their ceremony exactly at 8:30 with singing 3 songs. When we sang, everyone stood up for respect. Followed by that, the pastor recited a prayer with everyone to make this week better than the last. He welcomed everyone, including the people who are new, and told them more about what they do at Kennedy Road Tabernacle Church. The priest then talked about the Provision of Vision from the bible. There was a sheet that was handed out so as you listen you fill in the blanks. ( I attached the sheet I completed) I thought this was very convenient because it makes you pay attention and have something to do other than sitting down. He was reading about the Provision of the Vision and relating it to financial difficulties and how God is always there for you. After, I talked to one priest to get a better background of Christianity. I related what he said to the reading of ‘Christianity’ we did earlier in September. When he spoke to me, he said that they believe in one god, but that includes the father, son, holy spirit, He said Jesus died for us on a cross for the sins of the

After meeting Pastor Bobby Guerra I found to be very comfortable with the people and atmosphere. I kept going to service on a consistent base along with working and trying to get my life back on track that was one of the biggest struggles I’ve experienced only because I should have gotten it a long time ago and now trying to get it all back. I had got so comfortable with the church when they had invited me to their park outreaches for the community I was hesitant to go because I didn’t know if I was done with the past and the wreckage had haunted me.

While we were approaching, I could hear them singing. I was so excited, my heart rated so fast. We went there. No cross, just a plain building and above the door a sign in big white letters “City Church Chicago”. We went in. I was speechless and I couldn’t keep my mouth closed. There were kids, young people, old people, colored people, white people. Everybody was there and everybody was accepted the way he/she is. That was my first time in a different church. They sang a song. It was mind blowing. I was holding my tears. After the song, pastor started preaching. I loved that the pastor was explaining bible quotes on real life situations, it was like an motivational speech. He ask us to stand up and sing a song with him. I didn’t know the lyrics, but that’s not the problem. They have karaoke! So we sang, it was amazing. I really enjoyed

Just like what I had known my whole life, it was a church that was mostly Latino. At first sight, it appeared homogenous, but with almost ten years there, I realized I was utterly wrong. There were men and women from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and Columbia, each with their own lingos, cultural beliefs, and attitudes. For some of the men and women there, just a single border separated them, yet it seemed like they were oceans apart as people. Save for the occasional squabble, they stupefied me with their openness and cooperation toward each other, and even more with the wisdom they shared with me. At that point, I had only known how a Salvadorian lived, but through my time at church, it was as if I was getting a perfect panorama shot of the diversity I never

The two churches I attended were First Baptist and Frazer Methodist Church. The experiences I had were not too far from each other meaning they weren't really all that different. The First Church I went to was Frazer. When I first got there I was a little confused because I didn't really know anybody at first. But as I got in to the church and started to meet more people I felt very welcomed like I was meant to go the church. When the service started the first thing that happened was the Youth Minister came and spoke to us. He was telling us about the mission trips they are currently doing and also what they had been learning about in the weekly service for the past few months they had been talking about being spiritually fit for God. After he talked to us about that he sent us all off and we went to Sunday School. At Sunday school there

The church we attended was a traditional African American church and far from open-minded. That is why I chose to observe Expressions Church. Although, Expressions Church and my church is of the same religion, I knew it would be different. My experience at Expressions church was interesting, not because of the religious things that was mentioned but just about everything else. The church is not in a traditional chapel, it is located in a building on the North West side of Oklahoma City. After arriving I immediately noticed flyers on the front door for free HIV testing and dates. Upon entering the church I quickly felt like an outsider but still tried my best to be as open as

I began exploring faith with my Christian wife, Gloria, about six months ago, and made the decision to attend church with her. On the first day of attending church, I was approached by a fellow parishioner

I have not attended a service, but I have been welcomed into their social events, which are fairly synonymous with their worship. Social events and worship flow seamlessly together. I have been impressed by the vibrancy of the community and their dedication to developing relationships – both with Christ and each other.

The first cultural event I experienced was going to the non-denominational church with my girlfriend and her family. My expectations were to be going to a church that was more of a cathedral look. I expected to see religious statues and carvings within the church. To my surprise, it was completely opposite. We drove up to the campus and it was huge like a basketball stadium. When we entered the church it was huge with a very modern look. It looked nothing like a church. Then we entered the auditorium where there were floor seats and balcony seats that which looked like you would sit in at a sports event. This was the day I met my girlfriend’s family so not only was I nervous attending a church service in a place so big and different from what I expected I was meeting her family. I met the family everyone was really kind and welcoming. The church service began and it was like a concert. They had drums, guitars, keyboards, and singers. The dynamic was not similar to what I have experienced in the services I had attended back home. It was loud, fun, and people were so comfortable being there. The pastor spoke

Perhaps it was because I’m Catholic and not Pentecostal. Everyone in the sanctuary was moving around and socializing. Members of the church walked to the front of the altar and praised by the means of the Holy Spirit. It was a lot the different than my church but it was really a great experience. The members of the church raise their hands, kneel to god, and speak in tongues. Speaking in tongues simply means speaking to God in a way that they don’t understand themselves because the Holy Spirit fills their body. Another thing that was different about this church was the choir. Their choir was amazing and every selection they sung made me feel good inside. I got chills from some of the notes they hit. This church was very prompt and orderly. It started with a prayer from one of the Deacons of the church. The deacon openly asked the congregation for prayer requests and testimonies. One young lady gave a testimony about how she wanted to thank God for letting her see another day and healing her from cancer. It was also a special service honoring the Olive Branch Police Department. I’ve never seen anything like that during a church service, it was really amazing and touching. Another thing they did that was uncommon to me was an altar call. Towards the end of the service Elder Shannon called for an altar call. Altar call is when the members of the church go up to the altar for prayer.

I was greeted by, and conversed with, different patrons on each of my visits. This is unusual for me because I typically am not approached by strangers, I am not complaining. I was also offered unconsecrated bread by different practitioners on each visit which was the best tasting bread I have had during a church service. The thing that impressed me most, however, was the church member’s commitment to their surrounding community. They welcome anyone to their services, to the coffee hour afterward, to their annual block party, which they host, and to their harvest Sundays, where they collect food from their patrons and feed the local homeless population. The connection with their surrounding neighborhood is strong, but what is truly unique is the connection the congregation has with one another. For example, on the first Sunday I attended after the service was completed I remained in the nave to photograph and watch the community. I talked to one man about his conversion to Orthodoxy as the priest was consoling a young man who seemed distraught. This seemed to change the church from its ritual space to a community space of self or group

On February 26 I attended the Sunday worship service at Powerhouse ministries in Marshall, MO. Powerhouse is a Baptist church. As I walked through the doors of the small one story building, two elderly gentlemen with a handshake greeted me. The members of the church were very welcoming although they had never seen me before. They greeted me with a smile and welcomed me into their place of worship. Except for the wooden pews, Powerhouse did not look like any church I have been to before. The building was small and run-down and did not have any symbols such as a cross. The building had regular windows and did not have stained glass like those found in Catholic churches. Powerhouse ministries’ structure seemed humble and made me feel at home. It seemed as if money is not a priority for Powerhouse. Powerhouse is only concerned with bringing people together to worship Jesus Christ. Powerhouse did

During elementary school I decided I wanted to move in with my father who did attend church religiously every Sunday morning. Catholic mass was awful and difficult to understand. My father put my brothers and I through communion and made us participate in church bible study to further understand the religion. As I got older my views on Catholicism had gotten worse, I started hating going to church. When the nuns called my age group to have children’s church my father forced me to go, they took us to a room that had no windows and was always cold. The nuns made us read the old testament in the King James Bible version and I always had a hard time reading and understanding it because of the way it was written. This experience made me hate and

We had just moved across town from League City, Texas to Cypress, Texas, and my husband Mark and just moved his business from Downtown, Texas to Cypress, Texas. And this is the part where God was working, as we were seeking the place where He wanted us to be. I had been talking with my sister, who was helping me settle into our new house, and telling her that we were interested in finding a non-denominational church, and wouldn’t it be wonderful if it could be close by. While my sister was reading the “subdivision newsletter”, and this was all taking place while we were talking about where to attend church, she jumped out of the chair she was sitting in, ran over to me and said, “Bunnie, here is the church you are looking for, it is right in the neighborhood”. Of course, I was so excited, and promptly told my husband we have to go and check this church out. So, that Sunday we went to what started out as Fairfield Christian Fellowship, and today is known as Fountain of Life Church of God, pastored by John and Kerry LaLonde. The church met at that time in the pastor’s home, so it was a smaller church body, with about 30 people in attendance that particular Sunday. Everyone was welcoming and friendly, the praise and worship was wonderful, the uncompromised word of God preached, that is when we knew this is where God wanted

I am an active member at ST. Luke Missionary Baptist Church in Richmond, CA; the church pastor is Rev. Stewart, I been apart of that church family for as long as I can remember. I wasn 't a devoted Christian and I really didn 't go to church for spiritual strength at first. Baptist is very special; because I noticed being Baptist isn 't something you 're just born into. You have to devote your life to God on your own, it wasn 't till i was 13 when I chose to live for God, and sometimes I stray away from the right path. As I grow older being around other people who don 't live the way i do had a lot pressure and temptation that took me from my path. My church had had a various amount of auxiliary groups for all ages. I’m apart of the Young Adults group; we either went to the same high school or lived near each other. So it wasn 't strictly a church thing, we would go to movies, bowling, amusement parks, etc. I think my church is very enjoyable no matter what age a person is, Rev. Stewart is all about structure and being organized, he emphasizes to everyone to follow rules accordingly. I guess that’s what happens when your pastor was in the army, then police officer. Also at the church everything is family oriented, everyone is more than willing to help one another. We have tutoring and offer Spanish classes for anyone who has an interest in learning a new language. The church is very welcoming to everyone, especially visitors. Instead of giving cards out to the