Moriah Gonzalez: Church Visit 2

Austin Stone Community Church - St. Johns

500 E St. Johns Avenue, Austin, TX 78752

October 5, 2014

Lower Socioeconomic Class

I went home for a weekend and decided to attend the Austin Stone at St. Johns. I have many friends who have served as volunteers here, and have said wonderful things. The service is a nondenominational church of considerable size for its young age. Nearly everything element of worship mirrored what I am familiar with, except the actual congregation. By way of dress and social interaction, the members could be easily distinguished from my regular context. I found them timid and shy at first, but after approaching many members, they were friendly and welcoming.

Because this was a familiar environment, I felt as if I was able to fully engage in worship, rather than approaching my visit as an ethnographic study. I liked being in a place where I could “predict” what was coming next in the program. It allowed me to focus more on fellowship with others and full attention to the service. Reflecting upon this later, I found it interesting that my level of comfort determined so much of my experience within church.

This church is a branch off of one of Austin’s largest churches, planted in the poorest area of the city with some of the highest crime rates. I found this interesting. The new building stood out amongst the old, dilapidated structures. The church had a myriad of resources that they would not have otherwise been able to afford, including volunteers. This was particularly unusual. The volunteers were obviously of higher socioeconomic status and were not members of the community. This was somewhat off-putting; it seemed unrealistic and almost as if the church community of St. Johns was a charity cause. I initially felt cynical and angry at myself for thinking this way, but after sitting, I was even singled out by the volunteer coordinator. She asked if I was supposed to be serving coffee with other volunteers, and was surprised when I said I was just visiting. It did not seem one. Differences between individuals were accentuated in this environment.

The sermon was obviously catered to the audience, altered from its form in the mother church. It was mentioned many times that God was Provider, and he would meet needs. I had always assumed this but never thought about it extensively. I had always taken this fact about God for granted, as if it was a given that I would be provided for…. Even that I would be the sole provider of myself, divorced from God’s care. This element of worship served as a great reminder of this important truth.