Reality Church, London

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Mystery Worshipper:
Church: Reality Church
Location: London
Date of visit: Sunday, 23 February 2020, 11:00am

The building

Photo: © Jwslubbock and used under license The church meets in Central Foundation School for Boys, a secondary comprehensive school that dates from 1869. The hallways are full of interesting displays of the school's history. The assembly hall where the church meets is a big, well-maintained space with a large stage and a gallery.

The church

Reality Family of Churches is a group of churches based in the United States, primarily in California and Hawaii, with one plant in Boston. The London plant appears to be the only Reality Church in the United Kingdom. They conduct a series of classes called Essentials, which (quoting from their website) ‘will look into the essentials of faith … [and] of church for a lifetime of growth … something for everyone.’ They also hold a series of open house sessions that (again quoting from their website) ‘will involve live entertainment, dinner and conversation tailored to unpack life's big questions.’ There are also several other workshops and retreats, as well as community groups and men’s and women’s Bible study. Special mention goes to Luminary Bakery, (once again quoting from their website) ‘a social enterprise working with women who have experienced poverty, homelessness, violence or criminal activity by offering training, employment and community.’

The neighborhood

The school is located on a side street in the upper reaches of the City, London’s major business and financial centre, near Old Street. The area is an unremarkable neighbourhood that seems very quiet on a Sunday, although there are a fair number of hipster offices, studios and bars within easy striking distance that must be rather busy earlier in the weekend.

The cast

The senior pastor delivered the main sermon, while the head of the church's mercy ministry also spoke, as the day had been designated as Mercy Sunday. She also introduced a member of the congregation who spoke briefly about one the charities the church supports. A worship leader and band were stationed on the stage, while different members of the congregation gave a pre-planned welcome and led prayers. With various people bobbing up and down, and three of the people involved being women, it felt quite inclusive.

What was the name of the service?

Sunday Gathering.

How full was the building?

Approximately 180 seats were set out, yet despite this I counted only around 25 people sitting down when things started! People began to drift into the seats over the next 10-15 minutes, and in the end it was nearly two-thirds full. The congregation were fairly diverse in terms of race, but perhaps less so in terms of age (the vast majority appeared to be in their 20s and 30s) and class (it felt like a fairly comfortable middle class group overall).

Did anyone welcome you personally?

Things seemed quite friendly. When I arrived looking a little lost, one person directed me to where I needed to be. One chap introduced himself before things started, and we had a pleasant chat about our backgrounds and careers. I was filled with dread when one of the coordinators on the stage announced we'd be having a greet with the people around us shortly, but actually it was nicely done, with a specific question related to the morning's theme. It all felt quite natural and led to some interesting discussion and follow-up chat once the meeting had finished. Afterwards, a few people chatted with me and seemed genuinely welcoming and interested.

Was your pew comfortable?

The school assembly seats were slightly padded and relatively comfortable.

How would you describe the pre-service atmosphere?

Fairly subdued, in large part because people arrived late despite a five-minute countdown projected onto the overhead screen. But the proceedings began on time.

What were the exact opening words of the service?

A very warm and friendly member of the congregation greeted us with: ‘Good morning. Welcome to church!’ and went on to talk a bit about what to expect – this was primarily aimed at newbies. It felt genuine and would have made any first-time visitor feel welcome.

What books did the congregation use during the service?

None. There were a handful of New International Version Bibles on a couple of tables near the entrance to the hall, but the key Bible passages and all the song lyrics were projected onto one big screen (mostly in time with the singing!).

What musical instruments were played?

There was one keyboard plus three guitars of different kinds and one electronic drum of some description. The band and the sound system were professional.

Did anything distract you?

The only thing that distracted me was the band, who had a very strong presence. This made it a little difficult to focus during worship at times.

Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or what?

It was a standard staple of current, modern worship songs. However, it wasn't happy clappy: the songs that had been chosen were nearly all slow, ballad-type songs. A number of them were also, in my opinion, not so well suited to congregational singing. Given this, along with the loudness of the band, it felt more like I was listening to a performance than taking part in community worship. As this was designated Mercy Sunday, there was a particular focus on the subject of mercy. The church's five charity Mercy Partners were highlighted, and the congregation were gently encouraged to support and give to these.

Exactly how long was the sermon?

There were two speakers. The mercy ministry leader spoke for 14 minutes, while the main sermon from the pastor lasted 36 minutes.

On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?

8 — The pastor spoke well and clearly. He was passionate and his style was lively. He used a little humour and some illustrations nicely. It felt slightly on the long side compared with what I'm used to, but he held my attention pretty well.

In a nutshell, what was the sermon about?

The passage was Ephesians 3:14-21 (Paul’s prayer that God might strengthen the Ephesians). The sermon was in three parts: First, the preacher said, our interior life matters. We need to ask, as Paul prayed, that God will strengthen us ‘in our inner being’ because every outward act has an inner origin and it starts with the heart. Second, God makes his home in our hearts. This begins at conversion, but we need him to do a continual work of renovation as we journey as Christians. Third, the goal is relationship. We need to let God into every part of our lives to build that relationship successfully.

Which part of the service was like being in heaven?

It was very encouraging and uplifting to be part of a congregation who clearly approach the subjects of justice and community action thoughtfully and seriously. This is a church where they think about their responsibility to the outside world as Christians, both as a church and as individuals.

And which part was like being in... er... the other place?

The strong presence of the worship band – not so much in terms of decibels but rather how it drowned out the congregational singing. The predominance of North American accents (both speakers and, I think, the worship leader) did make me wonder if I had somehow been transported to another continent!

What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?

At the end of the meeting I had some nice conversations with those around me – these continued when I stood at the back on my own afterwards. One chap even gave me a leaving hug.

How would you describe the after-service coffee?

The before- and after-service refreshments were impressive. There were pastries and fresh fruit along with the hot and cold drinks. I poured myself some minted water from a small tank and had a couple of plastic cupfuls, along with a tangerine.

How would you feel about making another visit (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?

7 — The message and the people felt genuine. I'd be happy to make a return visit sometime. On balance, it's probably not somewhere that I'd make a regular church base for myself, however. I prefer somewhere with a bit more diversity in terms of age and background, and less of a monotone-like feel to the worship.

Did the service make you feel glad to be a Christian?

Yes, definitely. Both the sermon and the focus on active community and charity work hit the right notes.

What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time ?

The church's commitment to mercy and justice. Its thoughtful approach in researching and selecting five charitable causes for the congregation to consider getting involved with is a great idea, and an example other local churches should follow.

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