A few weeks ago I went to church in a bar.
Yes, a bar.
I walked in to a nightclub and was greeted by a mammoth shark tank. To my left was a well stocked bar and on my right were billiard tables. The dance floors were now covered with chairs. The lighting was dim, but made for a cozy atmosphere. My roommate and I pulled up some barstools and took a seat.
The room was full of all kinds of people: the blonde Newport mom, the teenage music enthusiast, the biker guy with enough ink on his body to write this column, the artsy college student, the surfer with salt water still in his ears and the sweet old lady that acts like everyone’s grandma.
It seemed like truly everyone was welcomed in this place.
During regular hours, the Shark Club is a swanky nightclub. But on Sunday mornings cocktails and clutches are replaced with Starbucks and Bibles.
This Newport church isn’t the only one to hold church in unusual places. Florentine Gardens in Hollywood and The Mayan in L.A. are also transformed into places of worship.
At first impression, church in a bar may seem odd.
But I think it may be the closest thing today to Jesus’ kind of ministry.
Ideally, all ministry is Jesus’ kind of ministry. However, not all modern day ministry is done how Jesus did his. That’s not to say other approaches aren’t valid. Many forms of evangelism are effective for different audiences.
What I’m talking about is meeting people where they are instead of drawing them to us. Jesus hung out with people most of us wouldn’t spend more than a minute with. He sought after the prostitutes, the liars and the cheaters.
Jesus went out to teach, he didn’t stay in the synagogue. He seemed to only be at the temple to reprimand them or re-teach them something they thought they already knew.
His ministry was out on the lake and in the towns, wherever the people that needed to hear his message were. He didn’t make them come to him.
So often I believe we focus on making church relevant for the nonbeliever. But I think the best approach is go out of our comfort zones to meet them where they feel at ease.
I’ve always had a problem with mass evangelism. I know it can be effective and powerful. I went to a Billy Graham crusade in high school and saw the Lord do great things.
However, I personally cannot stand on a stage and try to convince people I don’t know to come to Christ. And I think more and more of my generation is feeling the same. Recently, there has been much more emphasis put on relational ministry. Sure, it may not yield as many big numbers right away. But relationships having lasting implications.
I will never forget the people who have taken the time to get to know me before ministering to me. The times I’ve had with such people have been forever impacting. To be honest, I don’t remember many sermons, but I do remember the actions of those who have met me where I was. And that has been my saving grace.
Without being pantheistic, God is everywhere. And we can find him in the most unexpected places, even a bar.
