June 7, 2009

Now this is my kind of church

From the Helena, Montana Independent Record:
Billings brew pub hosts church
For all Christians who have done time on hard wooden pews in scratchy suits and ties, who have searched through musty hymnals and used church programs as fans while listening to sermons on the horrors of hell � relief has come.

At The Well, shorts and flip-flop sandals are accepted attire, barstools provide ample seating and hymnals are not required. A cold beer can provide relief from the heat � fire, brimstone and otherwise.

It doesn�t look like church, but that�s because The Well is a church for people who don�t believe in church.

�Don�t read this the wrong way,� said Minister Ryan Tucker before the start of Sunday�s Theology on Tap gathering at the Yellowstone Valley Brewing Company.

�There�s nothing wrong with church. I just sensed that there was more room at the table for people who aren�t into the conventional, traditional church.�

Tucker and fellow minister Jon Hall started The Well last summer, and a core group of followers began meeting at the Yellowstone Valley Brewing Company taproom earlier this month. The church�s name is a nod to the water well where the people of a village would gather to discuss events of the day. Local bars and taverns have come to be known as watering holes for the same reason. They are also gathering places.
And a bit more:
George Moncure, of the Yellowstone Valley Brewing Company, said he was open to the idea of having church services at the Garage Pub because of The Well�s focus on community. The tap room at the brewery isn�t typically busy on Sundays, he said, and customers who are not interested in the sermon can drink their beer at the bar.

Tucker, a graduate of Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, was a student minister for 11 years in churches in the Southeast U.S. before moving west to Billings. Hall previously worked as a student minister for five years before joining Tucker to start The Well.

The Well is not affiliated with any denomination. The term Hall uses to describe The Well is �post-denominational,� meaning that it has moved beyond division based on doctrinal differences.

Discussion and questions are welcomed during the sermon, and Tucker solicits interaction. His message is designed so that if discussion leads in a new direction, he is ready.

Tucker strives for what he calls �profound simplicity� in both an understanding of God and in fulfilling the church�s mission, �to live community and serve others.�
Jen and I are both very spiritual but our church is more often found on a trail or watching a critter than in a building with other people. This place sounds great -- getting back to the very early roots where it was a handful of people meeting over a meal (and most likely a beer or two). Posted by DaveH at June 7, 2009 8:20 PM
Comments

Bummer, I've been to that microbrewery, but not on Sunday morning. If only I'd known....

Posted by: Geran at June 8, 2009 7:20 AM
Post a comment









Remember personal info?