There was a slight buzz of palpable energy as soon as I walked through the door. People scattered around chattering about their day unaware of me. No one paid me any mind because it seemed like people wandered in here all the time to try and find themselves.

It was a brand new church, but one unlike any church I had ever seen. The walls clean with fresh paint and pictures of members flashing friendly smiles gives me a sense of security that I didn’t feel when I walked in the long hall. A blonde woman, middle-aged most likely, welcomed me into a giant café that had been installed in the giant portion of the church. I’d never seen a café with free coffee let alone in a church. My family and I helped ourselves to lattes and tea and slowly made our way into the main church. Nothing could prepare me for what could happen next.

A band played beats that made the air thrum and almost seem alive. We took our seats and I immediately stood up and moved to the beat. The Christian lyrics flying through the air were displayed on two massive screens so people could sing along. I was used to the usual boring hymns of a church but this church was completely different. This was when I finally took notice that everyone had jeans and a shirt. It felt so welcoming and almost homey to see people in sweat pants singing songs of worship. It was safe to say this was the first time in my life I had fun at a church. The band sang with their hearts hands raised in the air, as did the followers off stage. Lights spiraled and twisted around the walls bouncing off just the right places to create a righteous scene in front of me.

At last it was time for the preacher to come up on stage as the band exited towards the back. The lights went black and for a moment I didn’t want the music to end. The thought of a preacher talking for an hour and a half was displeasing enough for me to grimace. The lights came back on and the preacher appeared before us and he looked a whopping 30 years old. Pastor Mark was the youngest of many preachers I’d seen in my life. As he started speaking on the day’s topic, immediately I connected to him and understood everything he was saying. The words floated around the room and this man at once had everyone in the room hanging on to every word.

As I left the church I realized that out of every boring old fashioned church I’d entered this was the only one that had me leaving knowing I wanted to come back another time. I truly believe God’s presence was in this church and that was something I don’t think I would every feel. My faith was secured from the point forward.