50 :: Citizens Church

 

I am halfway through the one hundred churches! This has proven to be such an amazing journey, I am extremely excited for the second half that lies ahead.

This evening, we worshipped at a church plant in East Charlotte, on The Plaza. This was Citizens Church, a plant connected to three parent churches in Columbia, SC. This congregation is currently in a space at the Great Commission Center on The Plaza, which is affiliated with the Metrolina Baptist Association. This church is deeply traditional in its layout, which contrasts with so many of the spaces that we have visited thus far.

Some pictures:

Clearly a beautiful structure. This congregation was youthful, diverse and very Baptist. It is one of the many churches in the Southern Baptist Convention that is undergoing a re-invention of style and format, while maintaining the distinct elements of Baptist theology. 

It was really interesting to see yet another one of these churches undergoing this transformation, especially one that is in a church plant phase.

The band that played was good. They are in an initial state and will need to grow over time. An acoustic guitar, backup singer and a keyboard comprised the music offering, with the obligatory lyrics cast on the screen overhead. The songs were very solid and well-performed. This is almost exactly the format and style I have seen at the PCA churches that I have visited - Hope Community, Christ Covenant and Uptown Church.

Here's some of that:

The sermon that followed the music was the highlight of the experience. Multiple times during the sermon, I pivoted over to Beth and whispered something like, "Wow. This guy is really solid." To this, she whispered in reply multiple times with something like, "He's really, really good."

His name is Tim Olson, you can see him on the leadership page for Citizens Church [link]. He is a young guy, he mentioned during his sermon that he and his wife have a one-year-old baby. I'll go so far as to say about Tim that he may have been the most engaging speaker I have seen during this experience. He is certainly among the top five. He was GREAT! 

What made his sermon so fantastic was rooted in well-delivered content... but there were also stylistic things that contributed to the excellence of the sermon.

Tim was extremely enthusiastic in what he was saying. His body language was emphatic, and he moved around the stage a great deal. When he would make a profound point, he would stick his hands in his pant pockets. And everything he said was filled with deep emotion and belief. The combination of all of these unique factors added up to an exceptionally interesting and effective message.

They also had really robust hand outs that gave the attendees more information on the Book of Ephesians, as well as some context around the history that goes along with it.

These videos capture a bit of what made Tim's message an exceptional one.

Tim unpackaged the first chapter of Ephesians, digging deeply into the rich content of this epistle's important lead-in. He summarized this chapter into eight points.

They are:

1. You are chosen by the Father.
2. You are holy and blameless before God.
3. We are adopted as sons.
4. We are redeemed by the Son.
5. We are forgiven of our sins.
6. We are part of God's redemptive plans for the whole world.
7. We are heirs to a forever Kingdom.
8. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit.

Each of these points were elaborated on deeply. One point that showed up in Beth's notes on the sermon was - True forgiveness always comes at a cost to the one forgiving.

Another profound point Tim made related to a conversation he had with a friend years earlier, during which his friend said, "If you could lose your salvation, you definitely would." I laughed out loud at this point.

Then his friend reminded him of the most important point of all - "But you can't. Tim, we can't lose our salvation. That is not how it works."

Excellent points to ponder. Plus, we got to share communion, something I love doing, especially with Beth.

After the sermon, the band knocked out a few extra tunes. I noticed that the congregation was warmed up at this point. More hands were raised up than before. There was more movement in the people. The place had something different in it now.

Yup.

That was the Holy Spirit. It was now settled on this new congregation that is currently in its budding phase in Charlotte.

I believe this church will flourish and grow. It also looks like it will do so in a part of town that needs a healthy church that can serve that young and multi-racial, multi-ethnic part of our city. Citizens Church is clearly positioned to be a vibrant and healthy church in Plaza Midwood.

This was an excellent experience overall, I have only good things to say about this place. Plus, we got really awesome mugs! And who doesn't love that?

I will be watching this congregation as it grows. I see a bright future for this youthful, interesting and vital congregation headed up by an exceptionally talented pastor.

All the best, Citizens Church - Keep going!