What does worship look like at an MCC church?
Just like every person, every MCC church in the world is unique. Some churches worship with a band, some with an organ, and some small congregations even simply sing along with recorded music. At my church, and most MCC’s, our worship service blends elements from different types of churches to help make everyone feel welcome. As you already know, a real spiritual experience is about much more than the form that worship takes. In fact, some churches have been guilty of using lots of catchy music and light shows to distract from bad or even dangerous theology. What you will find at every MCC church is a community. You will find a church–which literally just means a gathering of people–who are truly glad you have come and who really want to be a part of your “chosen family.”
Because MCC is a movement made up of people from all different backgrounds, worship will be diverse. The way some parts of the worship service are done will feel familiar to you, while other parts of the service will likely feel more foreign. For example, I grew up in an evangelical church, and when I first attended an MCC I found the songs at that church very familiar. However, the way they did Communion felt very foreign and “Catholic-y” to me. If you haven’t ever really been a “church person,” one of the most common feelings people have after being at an MCC service is to say something like: “If I was ever going to be a member of a church, it would be one like this.” If you have grown up going to church, a good way to approach worship in MCC is to come with an open mind for what new things you might experience rather than hoping MCC will feel just like your former church. Inherently, MCC can’t feel like everyone’s home church, but we certainly make every effort to ensure that MCC feels like home.
The bottom line is that no one can tell you what you will think of MCC. The best way to know is for you to check it out yourself, and I truly hope you will visit an MCC soon! If you find that MCC is not for you, know that we will bless you as you continue to search for your spiritual community. If it is right for you, I hope you will experience the kind of blessing in your spiritual life that I found in MCC! When I found MCC it truly saved my life, and I am so grateful to be a part of this movement that shares God’s love with all of God’s rainbow children.
ABOUT THIS MCC AUTHOR: Rev. Wes Mullins was born in East Tennessee. He was always very involved in church and took his first full-time role as a minister at just 17. He is a graduate of Lipscomb University and Brite Divinity School, and he was ordained in MCC in December 2005. He and his husband Kevin reside in St. Louis, MO, and have been married for more than 10 years.
