Church of the Apostles

This was a terrific experience. I was excited to worship with this mission start that was a joint venture with the Episcopal church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA).
The end result is, what I believe, an example of how people can serve a need contextually without losing substance. I suppose coming from a lay person, that should be taken with a grain of salt. But, I’ve been to mission starts that are awkward, full of random drum solos followed by the blood and body (communion) being randomly passed out and then literally thrown back down on the table. No lie.
Moving on…
COTA has a coffee hour before the service where people mingle and have some great coffee (each cup is brewed by hand) or chai (a secret recipe of a member) along with treats — they have a suggested donation if you’re able. …Oh, the coffee and tea alone was worth the trip… If you want some great drinks at 4:30 pm on Sundays, head down that way– totally worth it even if you don’t stay for worship.
COTA is housed in an arts facility so there aren’t pews involved. Instead, they have folding chairs that aren’t uncomfortable as I anticipated. If you have a sensitive bum, there are some couches in the back.
The whole service had various members participating, it was a well curated event. Although they didn’t have bulletins, I didn’t feel lost or overwhelmed since people around me were watching and participating. I could follow their lead.
During a time called ‘open space’ we ventured around the room and outside to participate in various activities that were focused Pentecost. Since there were so many options, some activities/​prayers/​readings hit home. I enjoyed this time to explore the space (I added pictures to the review) and to once again prepare myself for worship.
Since I like to talk about customer service, I’ll say that we were greeted and directed as soon as we walked in for coffee hour and by several people in various church capacities once we went upstairs for worship. Great service, great people, working together.
It was not only a relaxed experience, but one I hope to repeat very soon.