Hunting and fishing

... for churches. It's a somewhat arduous process.

Whether you're looking in a traditional sanctuary environment



or in a converted warehouse setting,



if you stick within a particular denomination (or "family" of denominations - from the same branch of the Reformation, for instance), you pretty much know what the theology is going to be.
So that's not the issue. The issue becomes praxis. Not what do you believe, but how do you live it out here?

And I don't mean programs, not exactly. Not like: are there adult classes, or youth trips, or home group studies, or outreach to the poor? (although those things certainly are of interest..)

Rather, the questions are about substance (what you do), style (how you do it), and motivation (why you do it) - all three. From these you determine the church community's level of vitality, its passions and personality. Then you can assess if you fit in with that.

Finally, you walk away from every church you visit with a sense of whether or not you felt welcomed and wanted. And sometimes that trumps all the rest. :)

Getting closer on the evangelical front - might be today! On the Catholic side, still looking, two more parishes to visit... but at least it's a way to see different parts of the city.