I’m very interested right now in churches and “how we do church” and how different churches are carrying out God’s commission to them. I suppose this is because we’re thinking about, praying about, changing churches after having been members of the same Southern Baptist church for almost eighteen years. We’re not angry with anyone in our church, nor does our church have any serious doctrinal problems as far as I know. So why are we thinking about leaving? We have several reasons, and I’m not sure any of them are good enough. At any rate, I’m starting a new feature on the blog called “Church of the Week.” I’m going to look around, on the internet and out in the “real world,” and see if I can find some evangelical churches that are doing things that are both innovative and true to historic Christian theology and practice. I’m not looking for gimmicks; I am looking for a church that is not following the herd but rather following God’s call. My theory is that radically following what God is saying to a given church will produce a church that looks different in some ways from other churches but also similar to many churches that have existed throughout Christian history. Any nominations for “church of the week” are welcome to go in the comments section. The church you nominate doesn’t have to be in Houston, but if not it should have a website so that I can (sort of) visit. Or you’ll have to give me a detailed description.
My first “church of the week” is the one we are thinking about moving to: Trinity Evangelical Free Church, Friendswood, Texas (near Houston). I find several things intriguing about this church:

1) I estimate that about half of the families in the church are homeschoolers with larger than average families. I think that this predominance of large homeschool families just happened as God led some families to form the church and then others came partly because they felt comfortable and accepted in a church with families similar to their own.
2) The church just moved to Friendswood about a year ago from Clear Lake, another suburb of Houston. The church seems to be trying to reach out to the community, but because many of the families in the church are so different from the typical suburban family and because evangelicals in general are such a subculture in our society, the evangelism is difficult. A young man prayed this morning when we visited that the church would “stop being afraid of the culture and learn to fear only God.” I’m still trying to decide exactly what that means.
3) The church has the typical evangelical church ladies’ Bible studies, men’s Bible study, youth group, Awanas for children, but there’s a difference. Because
of all the large, rather traditional (maybe neo-traditional?) families, the teaching seems both more grounded in Scripture and deeper and more thoughtful.
4) During the summer, the church goes to an “age-integrated Sunday School” format. Families take turns leading the Bible study hour. Last year they studied missions in several different countries. This summer they’re planning a series on “Heroes of the Faith.”

I’m drawn to this church because our family would “fit in” there. I’m not sure we should go there for the same reason: maybe it’s too safe and comfortable. Maybe we should stay where we are and be uncomfortable and make other people a little uncomfortable when they look at us. Maybe we still have things to learn where we are. . .