Grand Religion
Grand Rapids may be well known for its breweries, but out in the 'burbs where we live it's much less about beer and much more about Jesus. I read somewhere that Grand Rapids has the most churches per capita—that's a truth to believe in.
Ben and I were joking once while driving through town that Grand Rapids can take any building and make it into a church. It was silly at first, but the funniest thing was that every example we traded was a true one.
“Grand Rapids loves their churches so much they can turn a gym into one.”
Right near our apartment was an old school turned gym with a workout facility, indoor rock climbing wall and pool. Now, it's a church. You think the pastor preaches while suspended from carabiners and cords?
“Oh yeah? Well Grand Rapids loves their churches so much they can turn a drive-in movie theater into one.”
This is my favorite. There's an old drive-in theater parking lot tucked off Brenton and 28th Street that long ago was converted into a church. Attendants drive up, tune their radios to the right station and listen to the sermon in their car while the pastor delivers it under a sheltered awning a few yards away.
“Psh, who cares about the drive-in theater church when there's a grocery store church!”
No joke. What was once an old Kroger grocery store is now some sort of weekend church. “Baptism in aisle 7.”
And of course there are all the new construction churches dotting the city every corner you turn. I'll tell you what, it may seem like overkill but it sure makes my Sunday morning errands a breeze. But wait... do you think those old-Kroger-now-church attendants are picking up their pantry needs while getting their praise on? Man, that would be multi-tasking worth worshiping.
Ben and I were joking once while driving through town that Grand Rapids can take any building and make it into a church. It was silly at first, but the funniest thing was that every example we traded was a true one.
“Grand Rapids loves their churches so much they can turn a gym into one.”
Right near our apartment was an old school turned gym with a workout facility, indoor rock climbing wall and pool. Now, it's a church. You think the pastor preaches while suspended from carabiners and cords?
“Oh yeah? Well Grand Rapids loves their churches so much they can turn a drive-in movie theater into one.”
This is my favorite. There's an old drive-in theater parking lot tucked off Brenton and 28th Street that long ago was converted into a church. Attendants drive up, tune their radios to the right station and listen to the sermon in their car while the pastor delivers it under a sheltered awning a few yards away.
“Psh, who cares about the drive-in theater church when there's a grocery store church!”
No joke. What was once an old Kroger grocery store is now some sort of weekend church. “Baptism in aisle 7.”
And of course there are all the new construction churches dotting the city every corner you turn. I'll tell you what, it may seem like overkill but it sure makes my Sunday morning errands a breeze. But wait... do you think those old-Kroger-now-church attendants are picking up their pantry needs while getting their praise on? Man, that would be multi-tasking worth worshiping.