Sabbath

We're going to Seacoast Irmo this morning. I don't know that I've put many church names and URLs into this site on church posts yet, but we've been attending a few weeks and I feel like it's time to toss it out for all to see. The church meets at the Columbiana Grande, wonderful theater just off the Harbison corridor - and being in a movie complex, these are by far the most comfortable seats we've ever experienced.

The church is a satellite from the main campus in Mt. Pleasant, SC - that one has a wonderful building right on the island. From what I've gathered in listening and reading, they decided early on the build satellite groups rather than become the mega-church-on-the-island. There are several gatherings in Charleston, one in Savannah, a couple in Columbia, and one further up the interstate in Greenville. I like that, wanting to branch out and let other communities grow under a flag of commonality while still letting them have their own identity and mission in their communities.

Set-up and take-down must be a bear. At least three, maybe four, theaters are used for each weekend's service time. The Adults are in one theater, the Youth appear to have their own service/theater, the Children have another (our kids have really enjoyed Kidscoast so far!), and there's a new service that's just started for 20-somethings. In the main auditorium, the worship band leads a really good set - mostly Vineyard and Hillsongs in style. The worship leader is also the campus pastor - very personable from the stage, and nice the couple of times we've shook hands. Then the I-wasn't-sure-I'd-like-it part: the sermon is delivered via video from the main campus. Pastor Greg is in a series on worship, and I didn't think I'd like it - but it works. That's the only way I can describe it, that it works for what's going on and with the vibe that's created.

I don't know if we're ready yet to get into the small group scene, where most of the livelihood comes from, I'm sure. Life is busy with the play and everything else, but when we closer to the holidays and the new year, I think we'll make that plunge, too. Do we have a "church home"? No, and I don't know that we're looking for that. It's one of those things we might look at one day and say wow, we've got a church home - like an unconscious discovery more than a conscious decision, finding out that we've assimilated with this, or maybe another, body of believers in town.