Pam and I spent Saturday night in South Bend, since I would be playing in the table tennis tournament at 9 a.m. We decided to go early enough to attend the 5:30 Saturday night service at Granger Community Church. We’d been wanting to attend a service there, and this was our chance.

Granger, which always ranks high among America’s most innovative churches, is tightly focused on reaching the lost. There are a number of such megachurches across the country doing some amazing ministry. Last fall while on vacation, we attended another one: Quest Community Church in Lexington, Tenn. These churches magnetically attract unfair criticism for “compromising” the Gospel. But they’re reaching people that more traditional churches never touch. Don’t get self-righteously petty about that.

Here are some random reflections from Granger:

• A guy in a cowboy hat, with a high “howdy” quotient, welcomed us on the sidewalk. I liked him.
• Just inside the door, a big line had formed at the cafe/coffeeshop.
• The sanctuary was like a big, three-section hotel ballroom, with chairs set up in a sideways format.
• An impressive number of people–hundreds–for this Saturday night service (with another coming at 7:30).
• When the band came out before the service started, they were just silhouettes against a white background. Looked cool.
• The band did a superb instrumental jam for the prelude.
• We sang two or three songs, and then got right into the message.
• The sermon series is “Get in the Game.” They did an amazing video which put two people inside a shoot-em-up video game. This took time to develop.
• Granger expends a lot of energy branding each sermon series, and it’s impressive.
• The “Pastor of Life Mission” gave the message. Very energetic dude. I wasn’t taking any notes, but didn’t notice any traditional structure to his message. That doesn’t bother me. I’m a writer who tires of the creativity-challenged “three points and a poem” thing.
• At least 90% of the people wore bluejeans. Maybe 95%. Bluejeans everywhere. As we walked from the parking lot, with dozens of other people–not a non-bluejean in sight. The worship team, the ministers–bluejeans. True, it was bluejean weather–rainy, chilly. But it was almost like bluejeans was the official Granger uniform, and the prevalence amused me. As for Pam and me: bluejeans.