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Bearing Silence with Love

Houston is mega church central. We've got churches with tens of thousands of members packed into former sports arenas. Multiple campus churches with screens bigger than most movie theaters. Downtown churches with towering steeples and massive congregations. These places put on quite a show. Movie-theater lighting, concert-quality sound systems, messages that make you feel good about yourself. They're impressive, I'll give them that. But here's what I've learned after thirty years in ministry... Impressive isn't the same as meaningful. Entertainment isn't the same as discipleship. And just feeling good isn't the same as growing in faith. I'm Pastor Jon at St. John's Presbyterian, and I want to talk about why our more intimate, authentic church community beats the mega church experience every single time. The Challenge with Spiritual Entertainment Mega churches excel at one thing: putting on a show. They've figured out how to make Sunday morning feel like a concert mixed with a motivational seminar. The music is polished, the lighting is dramatic, and the messages are designed to send you home feeling inspired. But here's the question I keep hearing from people who've left mega churches: What happens Monday morning? When your boss is making your life miserable, when your teenager is making destructive choices, when your marriage is falling apart, when you're facing a health scare that might change everything - does that Sunday morning inspiration actually help? Most people who've come to St. John's from mega churches tell me they can't answer that question because they never had the chance to find out. They didn't know anyone at their church well enough to call when life got hard. As one former member put it... "I was entertained, but I wasn't equipped." The "prosperity gospel" that many mega churches preach sounds appealing. God wants you healthy, wealthy, and happy. Just have enough faith, give enough, and think positive thoughts. We believe differently. Real life includes suffering, disappointment, and circumstances beyond our control. I've counseled too many people who left mega churches wondering what they did wrong or why their faith wasn't strong enough when the prosperity message fell apart during real hardship. What People Tell Me They Actually Need from Church After walking alongside hundreds of people through life's ups and downs, I've learned what people actually need from their church community. They need people who know your real story. Not the highlight reel you post on social media, but the actual struggles, fears, and questions that keep you up at 3 AM. People who've left mega churches often tell me... "I attended for years without anyone knowing my name, much less my story. When crisis hit, I was on my own because nobody knew me well enough to help." They need biblical teaching that addresses real problems. Life is complicated. You need Scripture that speaks to workplace ethics, parenting challenges, financial stress, relationship conflicts, and moral decisions that don't have easy answers. They need spiritual guidance through life's major decisions. Should you take that job? How do you handle aging parents? What does faithfulness look like in your particular circumstances? People consistently tell me that mega church pastors can't provide personal guidance because they don't know members personally. You get generic advice that may or may not apply to your situation. The Alternative to Arena-Style Christianity: St. John's Presbyterian Houston's most famous mega churches represent a very different approach to faith than what we offer. They focus on feeling good, thinking positive, and expecting blessings without following in the footsteps of Christ. We believe authentic Christianity includes the more raw, personal experiences that don’t fit inside a hype-filled mold. That’s why St. John's Presbyterian Church offers something completely different. We know each other's names and stories. With about 200 active members, our pastors can actually provide personal spiritual guidance. When you're facing a major decision or going through a difficult time, you have people who know you well enough to offer meaningful support. Our teaching tackles real issues with biblical depth. We don't avoid difficult passages or controversial topics. We dig into Scripture and wrestle with how ancient truth applies to contemporary challenges. Sometimes that's uncomfortable, but growth requires discomfort. Our worship focuses on God, not entertainment. We follow a classical style with hymns, piano, organ, and volunteer choir. Our professional musicians provide excellence without turning worship into performance. The congregation participates together rather than watching a show. Our service changes lives beyond our walls. We partner with PCHAS for single parent family ministry, helping families on the verge of homelessness develop life skills and achieve independence. We maintain Anchor House for medical patients from out of town. We support kids in Uganda and seafarers far from home. This isn't busy work to keep church members occupied. This is kingdom work that makes a real difference in people's lives. We focus on intent over doctrine. We're moderate people who want to make the world a better place through Christ's teachings. We don't take extreme political positions on either side. In fact, our church is one of the few that is about evenly divided between Democrat and Republican. We don't tow the party line on issues. Each member we trust to have enough sense to read and interpret the scriptures themselves and make their own political decisions. It's called "The Priesthood of Believers" and it's right there in the Bible. Unlike many churches where diversity means some people wear suits and some people wear shorts to worship… we have diversity of politics, religious backgrounds, gender, age, and racial diversity. All who do their best to live by Jesus' teachings, we consider part of our family... regardless of secondary beliefs or characteristics. Why Size Matters for Spiritual Growth The mega church model assumes bigger is always better. More members, bigger buildings, larger budgets, greater influence. But spiritual growth doesn't work that way. Accountability requires relationship. You can't grow spiritually without people who love you enough to challenge you when you're making poor choices. That requires the kind of close relationships that former mega church members tell me are impossible in crowds of thousands. Discipleship requires mentorship. Following Jesus isn't intuitive. You need people who are further along in the journey to show you what faithfulness looks like in daily life. People often share with me that mega churches can't provide that personal guidance. Service requires local knowledge. Effective ministry understands community needs and builds relationships over time. I've heard from many people that mega churches often parachute in with programs designed elsewhere rather than developing organic responses to local challenges. Our community garden brings together church members and neighbors with no religious connection. We know our neighborhood because we live here, worship here, and serve here. The Prosperity Gospel vs. Real Faith Many mega churches promote some version of the prosperity gospel - the idea that God wants everyone healthy, wealthy, and successful. They say to just have enough faith, give enough, and claim your blessings. This theology sounds appealing, but it's not biblical. The Bible is full of faithful people who suffered - Job, Jeremiah, Paul, and ultimately Jesus himself. People who've left prosperity-focused churches often tell me they couldn't handle suffering, so they blamed themselves for lacking faith. We believe that authentic Christianity acknowledges that life includes suffering, disappointment, and circumstances beyond our control. But it also promises that God walks with us through those valleys and uses even our pain for purposes we can't always see. At St. John's, we don't promise that faith will make your problems disappear. We promise that you won't face those problems alone. We'll walk with you through job loss, illness, family crisis, and grief. We'll celebrate with you during good times and support you during hard times. While our style doesn't pump you up to feel invincible for a short period of time... our members find that this understanding serves them with a deeper sense of peace, especially when life gets hard and challenges arise. What Former Mega Church Members Tell Me They Missed For all their resources and programs, people consistently share with me that mega churches can't deliver the things that matter most for spiritual growth. They can't provide pastoral care during crisis. When you're facing surgery, job loss, or family emergency, you need people who know you personally. Former members tell me that mega church pastors can't provide that care because they don't know their members individually. They can't offer authentic community. Real community requires vulnerability, commitment, and shared responsibility. People often explain to me that those things don't scale to thousands of people. You can't have authentic relationships with people you only see in auditorium seating. They can't provide theological depth. Former members frequently tell me that mega church messages must appeal to the broadest possible audience, so they avoid anything controversial or challenging. As one person said, "You get watered down feel-good messaging that barely addresses Jesus's deeper teachings." The St. John's Difference in Houston's Church Scene Houston's religious landscape includes options from house churches to mega congregations. St. John's occupies a sweet spot that combines the intimacy of small churches with the resources and stability of larger ones. We're big enough to offer diverse programming for different ages and interests and small enough that people can actually know each other. We're traditional enough to offer theological depth and historical perspective and contemporary enough to bring these messages into the daily lives and concerns of our members. We're committed enough to maintain long-term partnerships with local and international service organizations and innovative enough to develop new ministries as opportunities arise. This combination attracts people who've tried mega churches and found them lacking. They come looking for authentic relationships, biblical depth, and meaningful service opportunities. They stay because they find a church family that knows them, challenges them, and supports them through all of life's seasons. What to Expect at St. John's Let me be clear about what you'll find at St. John's versus what you might expect from mega church experience. Our worship is participatory, not performance-based. We sing hymns together, pray together, and share real prayer concerns during the service. Our professional musicians provide excellence, but the focus is on congregational participation rather than entertainment. Our teaching is biblical, not inspirational. Sermons connect Scripture with daily life challenges, but we don't avoid difficult passages or controversial topics. Sometimes the truth makes you uncomfortable before it sets you free. Our community is authentic, not artificial. People know each other's real stories - the struggles as well as the successes. We provide genuine support during crises, not just thoughts and prayers. Our service is transformational, not transactional. We're not trying to get blessed by doing good deeds. We're responding to God's grace by loving our neighbors in practical ways. Our expectations are clear, not hidden. Following Jesus requires commitment, sacrifice, and spiritual growth. We don't promise easy Christianity or guaranteed prosperity. If you're looking for spiritual entertainment, stay with the mega churches. If you're ready for spiritual transformation, come see what authentic Christian community looks like. Making the Switch from Mega Church to Authentic Church Many people come to St. John's after years in mega churches. They've enjoyed the inspiring messages and excellent music, but they tell me they're hungry for something deeper. The transition takes some adjustment. You won’t feel like a ghost inside our congregation. You have a high likelihood of actually meeting eyes and exchanging blessings with another person during our service. If you share it with them, our members are likely to know your name and ask about your life. You'll also be expected to participate, not just attend. And that means simply being present and “with us” in mind and spirit during the service. You'll hear challenging sermons that let you think deeply about how the scripture applies to your life, not just inspiration that makes you feel good for a few hours on Sunday. That's why many former mega church attenders tell me they wished they'd made the switch sooner. They love having a pastor who knows their story and can provide personal guidance. They appreciate worship that engages them rather than entertaining them. They value friendships built around shared mission rather than surface pleasantries. Most importantly, they discover what they tell me they were missing in mega churches - a faith that actually transforms daily life rather than just providing weekly inspiration. An Invitation to Close Christian Community If you're tired of spiritual entertainment and ready for a closer community of real people doing real work to live with Jesus' teachings... St. John's Presbyterian offers a peaceful alternative to Houston's bold mega church scene. We exist to glorify God by making disciples and meeting human needs. That means we're serious about both spiritual growth and practical service. We won't promise you health, wealth, and happiness, but we will walk with you toward spiritual maturity and meaningful service. Our community includes people at different stages of faith development, from those exploring Christianity to lifelong believers. What unites us is commitment to following Jesus together through authentic relationships and shared mission. We worship Sundays at 11:00 AM at 5020 West Bellfort Avenue in Houston's Westbury neighborhood. Come experience classical worship that focuses on God rather than entertainment. Stay for coffee and conversation afterward to meet people who might become genuine friends. Beyond Sunday, we offer Bible studies, service opportunities, and fellowship activities that support spiritual growth throughout the week. We're not trying to consume all your time, but we want to equip you for faithful living wherever you are. Choosing a church affects your spiritual development and your family's faith formation. We encourage you to visit several times, participate in different activities, and talk honestly with members about their experience. If you're ready to move beyond religious entertainment to authentic discipleship, we'd be honored to walk with you in following Jesus. Just remember: we're real people who worship and serve Jesus Christ with no frills. The mega churches will still be there if you decide you prefer the show. But once you experience genuine Christian community, you may find that this way of living the scripture brings all new kind of peace and joy.

Here's the problem with finding good church people: The ones actually doing God's work usually aren't making a lot of noise about it. They're not posting on social media about their latest mission trip. They're not wearing their volunteer work like a badge of honor. They're not competing to see who can pray the most eloquently or quote the most Bible verses. They're just quietly helping people. Week after week. Year after year. Without fanfare. And that makes them hard to find. I'm Pastor Jon at St. John's Presbyterian, and I want to talk about the difference between churches full of people trying to look holy and churches full of people actually walking in Jesus’ footsteps. The Ones Making Noise vs. The Ones Making a Difference Walk into most churches and you'll meet people eager to tell you about their spiritual accomplishments. How long they've been Christians. Which Bible study they're leading. What mission trip they took last summer. How much they give to the church. Nothing wrong with any of those things. But sometimes the people making the most noise about their faith are doing the least actual work. Most of the people really making a difference? They're harder to spot. → They're the woman who shows up every Tuesday to sort donations at the food pantry without telling anyone about it. → The man who quietly pays utility bills for families about to have their power shut off. → The couple who've been fostering kids for fifteen years and never mention it unless you ask directly. → The grandmother who teaches English to refugees every Saturday morning and considers it the highlight of her week. These folks aren't trying to impress anyone with their godliness. They just see needs and meet them. They don't need recognition or applause. They certainly don't need to win spiritual competitions with other church members. They're too busy actually helping people. The Pageantry Problem Too many churches have turned faith into performance art. Who can dress the nicest for Sunday service. Who can volunteer for the most visible committees. Who can pray the longest during prayer time. Who can act the most spiritual during worship. Who can make their family look the most perfect. It's exhausting. And it's exactly the opposite of what Jesus taught. The people caught up in church pageantry spend more energy managing their image than serving others. They're more concerned with how their faith looks than what their faith does. Meanwhile, the real servants slip in and out of church quietly. They don't need the spotlight because they're not performing. They're just living out their faith in practical ways. You might sit next to them for months without knowing they run a ministry that feeds dozens of families every week. They don't bring it up because they're not trying to impress you. They're just doing what needs to be done. Why the Quiet Ones Are Hard to Find The people actually doing God's work don't advertise it because that would defeat the purpose. Jesus was pretty clear about this. When you help people, don't make a big show of it. Don't blow trumpets. Don't make sure everyone sees how generous you are. Just help quietly and let God worry about the recognition. The problem is that quiet service doesn't attract attention. So churches fill up with people who like attention more than they like service. The woman who organizes meal trains for every family facing surgery doesn't get elected to committees because she's not campaigning for positions. She's too busy cooking. The man who drives elderly members to doctor appointments doesn't get asked to speak about his ministry because he doesn't think of it as ministry. He just thinks of it as helping neighbors. The family that always opens their home for holiday dinners to anyone with nowhere else to go doesn't get featured in church newsletters because they don't think what they're doing is special enough to mention. These are the people you want in your church family. But you have to look for them because they're not promoting themselves. What St. John's Attracts St. John's Presbyterian has somehow collected a bunch of these quiet servants. People who care more about results than recognition. Not because we planned it that way. Not because we have better people than other churches. But because we've created an environment where service matters more than status. We don't make a big deal about volunteer recognition. We appreciate what people do, but we don't need awards ceremonies or volunteer appreciation banquets. People serve because they want to help, not because they want applause. We focus on actual impact, not impressive programs. Our community garden feeds real families. Our single parent housing helps real people get back on their feet. Our support for the orphanage in Uganda helps real kids get educated. The work speaks for itself. We don't compete over who's most spiritual. People here have different political views, different backgrounds, different levels of biblical knowledge. What unites us is commitment to helping others, not performing our faith for each other. We make space for people to serve according to their gifts. Some folks are great with kids. Others prefer working with their hands. Some are good with money management. Others excel at hospitality. We need all types of help. We don't require people to justify their service with spiritual language. If someone wants to help in the community garden because they like plants, that's fine. If someone supports our refugee assistance because they remember their grandparents being immigrants, that works too. Good motives don't all have to sound religious. Real Mission Work Looks Different People expect mission work to look dramatic. Short-term trips to foreign countries. Big fundraising campaigns. Elaborate service projects that get covered in the local news. Those are all worthy of high praise. But a lot of God's work actually happens in smaller, steadier ways. The woman who brings homemade soup to every new parent in the church. She's been doing it for twenty years. Hundreds of families have been fed and felt cared for. She doesn't keep count. The man who fixes things around the church building without being asked. Leaky faucets, squeaky doors, burned-out light bulbs. He sees problems and solves them. The building runs better because he pays attention. The couple who've been visiting homebound members for fifteen years. They don't just drop by once. They build relationships. They remember birthdays. They become family to people who might otherwise be forgotten. The teenager who helps elderly members with their smartphones and computers. She spends her Sunday afternoons teaching people how to video call their grandchildren. It's not glamorous, but it connects families. The group that quietly pays utility bills for families facing disconnection. They don't ask for testimonials or thank-you letters. They just keep people's lights on during tough times. This is what mission work looks like when you strip away the publicity and focus on actual help. The Committee Meeting Reality Look, we have committee meetings at St. John's. Churches need coordination. People need to communicate about shared projects. But our meetings focus on getting things done, not on who gets credit or control. When the Caring Committee meets, we talk about which members need meals, rides to appointments, or hospital visits. We figure out who can help and when. Then we go help. When Faith in Action meets, we discuss which community needs we can address and how to do it effectively. We plan practical responses to real problems. When the Property Committee meets, we prioritize repairs and improvements that help the church serve better. We're not trying to impress anyone with fancy renovations. The difference isn't that we avoid organization. The difference is that our organization serves the mission instead of serving egos. Finding Your People If you're tired of churches where people compete over who can appear most spiritual, St. John's might be where you find your people. People who care more about helping than being seen helping. They show up consistently, work hard, and don't need their names on plaques. People who understand that faith shows up in practical ways. Visiting sick people. Feeding hungry families. Teaching kids to read. Listening to lonely neighbors. People who don't need to perform their Christianity for others. They're comfortable with their faith and don't need to prove anything to anyone. People who find joy in service itself, not in recognition for service. The work is its own reward because the work makes a difference. People who believe faith communities should make the world better, not just make themselves feel better. The point isn't personal spiritual feelings. The point is loving neighbors in tangible ways. These people exist in Houston. They're just harder to find because they're busy doing the work instead of talking about the work. The Challenge of Quiet Faith Living out faith quietly requires more maturity than performing faith loudly. When you help people without getting credit, you have to be motivated by something deeper than applause. When you serve consistently without recognition, you need internal conviction rather than external validation. When you practice faith without making a show of it, you discover what you really believe versus what you think you should believe. The people attracted to St. John's have generally moved beyond needing their faith to impress others. They've discovered that following Jesus means focusing on others, not on themselves. This doesn't mean they're perfect. It means they're honest about their imperfections and more interested in growing than in pretending they've already arrived. An Invitation to Real Service St. John's Presbyterian brings together people who want their faith to matter in practical ways. We don't spend much energy on spiritual competitions or religious performances. We spend our energy helping people. If that sounds like what you're looking for, come see what we're about. We worship Sundays at 11:00 AM at 5020 West Bellfort Avenue in Houston's Westbury neighborhood. But don't stop with Sunday morning. Come during the week when our single parent families are learning life skills. Visit our community garden when members and neighbors are working together. Ask about our Anchor House ministry or our support for international programs. Better yet, come ready to join the quiet work. We need people who care more about results than recognition. People who find satisfaction in service itself by doing God's work in the real world. The world has enough people trying to look holy. It needs more people actually being helpful. If you're one of those people - if you're tired of spiritual show and ready for practical service - you'll fit right in at St. John's. We're real people doing God's work quietly. The way it's supposed to be done.

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Living Gift Market - November 16, 2025

Healing Hearts A New Ministry of Care and Encouragement Healing Hearts will meet in the church office building in the Prayer Room on Wednesday, October 8th from 7:00PM to 8:00PM and on Monday, October 27th from 11:00AM to 12:00 Noon. Healing Hearts, a grief and bereavement support group. Led by Lisa Sparaco, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and member of our church, this group will provide a safe and faith-filled space for sharing stories, receiving encouragement, and walking together through seasons of loss. This is not a therapy group, but a ministry of care and prayer for all who grieve. Healing Hearts is open both to members of St. John’s and to the wider community. We encourage you to share this opportunity with your friends and neighbors who may need such support. Meetings will take place in the Prayer Room, beginning in October 2025, on the second Wednesday of each month from 7:00–8:00 PM and the last Monday of each month from 11:00 AM–12:00 Noon. This schedule provides both an evening option for those who work during the day and a daytime option for those who prefer not to drive at night.