Posted by Warren Bird
I enjoy learning from churches through their websites. Long gone is the day when churches offer one "take it or leave it" choice: one 10:00 a.m. service. In fact, according to the largest-ever study of U.S. congregations, conducted back in 2001, the majority of churches are already doing multiple services, a first step toward becoming multi-site. Specifically, "two thirds of congregations offer more than one worship service in a typical week." Woolever, Cynthia, and Deborah Bruce. A Field Guide to U.S. Congregations, Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2002, 31. Even within each worship service, churches are showing wonderful creativity in making the Gospel accessible to as many different people as possible. For example look at John Piper's church, Bethelehem Baptist in Minneapolis, where they offer this sensitive innovation at their Downtown campus (they have currently have three campuses): Scent - Free Worship: There is a small group of people that worship with us who have allergies and experience extreme sensitivity to odors from construction, perfumes, strong deodorant and fragrances. To minister to these individals and allow them to worship at Bethlehem alongside us, we have set aside room 111 as a scent-free space during our Downtown Campus 9:45am service each Sunday. A link to the service, an adjacent bathroom and separate entrance are provided. Our sanctuary is often filled to capacity. One person's perfume or cologne can negatively affect another sitting nearby if the scent is too strong. In a spirit of putting the needs of others above our own, we ask everyone who attends our 9:45am worship service at the Downtown Campus to please refrain from wearing perfume or cologne. We also request that everyone who has an allergy or who may be bothered by a scent to please attend the 9:45 service at the Downtown Campus. What adaptations are you making, from a big-screen TV monitor in your cry-room to unusual touches similar to Bethlehem's scent-free worship?
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