My Church

In June of 2019, Brock and I began walking through a nearly-unbearable, excruciatingly-painful season of searching for a new church home. The process was longggggg – we were actively church shopping for nearly a year and a half.   

During this time, the world legitimately felt like it was falling apart at the seams (y’all remember 2020, right?!). While the pandemic made it easier for us to explore churches in our local community (you could “visit” multiple spots on any given Sunday with just the click of a button!), we found ourselves emotionally disheartened throughout the process. Week after week, as we watched service after service, it often felt like the screaming, finger pointing, tribalistic camps of the broken world around us had infiltrated the attitude of the Church.   

I won't sugarcoat it: trying to find a new church home in 2020 was the actual worst. I wept most Sundays, wondering if we would ever find a place to land. Was there a church body that held fast to God’s Word as the source of ultimate truth, while also exploring the cultural, historical, and linguistic layers of Scripture? Did anyone still care about maintaining the balance of speaking difficult truths and loving others well? Were there church leaders who could speak without making it obvious whether they got their news from CNN, or from FOX? Was anyone somehow remaining calmly in step with Jesus?   

Enter: Church of the Open Door.   

Discovering Open Door felt like gulping your first gasp of air after being underwater a few seconds too long. The leadership team exemplifies Paul’s direction for unity in the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:1-16), points to Christ alone in every sermon, prayer, and announcement, and preaches expositionally with truth, love, and actionable application. Open Door’s community was (somehow, against all odds!) a tranquil shore in the midst of a global storm.   

Brock and I have been attending Open Door (first virtually, now in-person) since September of 2020, and it has been such a joy to get plugged in with our new church family. We are honored to be involved in serving communion, volunteering with the Missional Life team, and teaching Amen. on Wednesday nights this summer!