22 years ago my mom started going to an awesome, new church in Raleigh. It started in a hotel and then moved to a renovated horse barn. The atmosphere was casual and the music was loud - guitars, drums, and just a couple of singers. No choir? Woah! Hymn books and pews were absent, too. The words were on a screen, albeit the handy dandy transparency projector. There was no Sunday School and no services on Sunday nights so people could go to small groups that met in homes.
This church was cutting edge. Contemporary music, small groups, casual atmosphere. Sound familiar?
But did you catch those first three words - “22 years ago.” Granted, I do believe this church was a little ahead of its time in a rather progressive city considering the South. But that was nearly an entire generation ago. Thousands of churches just like it have sprung up since then. They used to be culture-engaging and cutting edge. But are they still?