10) TO "NETWORK," TO MAKE CONTACTS. This may be the worst reason for coming, even though many people make it their number one. Still, the fact is that you do meet people in church, and in our church you meet a much warmer than average group.

9) TO FIND A WIFE/HUSBAND. This is a slightly better reason, because if you find a marriage partner in this church, you will be finding someone whose love for God will help you be happier, and stay together longer.

8) TO FIND A SUPPORT GROUP. Now you are getting warmer. God's people are not just "friendly" to each other; they are brothers and sisters who really care about each other. You can find a real family here, and everybody needs one. This is a tribe that won't vote you out.

7) FOR THE FOOD. This is a better reason than most people imagine. Church people really understand the link between food and genuine shared fellowship, a link which has been well known since ancient times. It may be a bit mystical, but it is real. And our cooks are good, too.

6) FOR MENTAL STIMULATION. Not a bad reason. A diet of junk food for the body can leave you out of shape, loading you with fat; in the same way  junk food for the brain can get your mind mixed up by loading it with nonsense. Here you will find a prescription from God for "renewing your mind."

5) TO FEED YOUR SPIRIT. Now we are getting to the good stuff. Spiritual junk food is more damaging than mental or physical junk food. Spiritual malnutrition can leave you feeling stressed and overwhelmed. It can put you on a really bad road.  No one can live by bread alone; the Word of God is the food our spirits need, and it will help beat stress!  

4) TO TALK WITH GOD. You can pray alone, of course. You should. We all should. But there is more. Jesus gave us marvelous promises about extra power in prayer, something special as true believers pray together when they are "gathered in his name."

3) TO WORSHIP. We are not talking about the kind of short term "high" that can be projected by show biz techniques. Real worship is not an artificial mood, stirred up from outside; it is something that rises up inside you as you express your recognition of God's worth and worthiness.

2) TO HELP OTHERS: to find ways of putting to work the gifts and talents and resources God has given you. He gives each of us something that will benefit others, and he gives them something that can benefit us. And these gifts will be most fulfilling to you when you practice sharing them in a group focused on Jesus.

1) BUT THE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR COMING IS TO BE SURPRISED! Come and be surprised by discovering how Jesus wants to share his Easter victory with you, so that you will live forever!  God, the one God, the only God, the true God, the ETERNAL who was here on earth as a man in Jesus, is eager to arrange for you to live  knowing that you will never die but simply move out into a new and perfect body when the one you have wears out.  Not only that, he wants to surprise you by improving your quality of life here and now, by being with you always, actually living in you by his spirit, always ready to listen to you, to talk to you, to be a comfort and a refuge, to be a friend and a deliverer who will deliver you from anything you need delivering from, to free you from ALL stress and to show you the very personal reason he has for building you up by guiding you to this particular fellowship of believers.

SO COME MEET A CHURCH! Christians don't GO to church; they ARE the church. So we gather to worship God, to hear him speak to us, and to build each other up through our fellowship and worship. Our aim is to make all our activities fit with God's teachings on BEING THE CHURCH, which we are all daily trying to do better.