The Hole-in-the-Wall Church
“Guess where I’m eating?”
I attached a photo of my dinner, ramen from a restaurant near us, and sent it to my wife. I’d wanted to eat there for a while, and I thought she’d be jealous.
She soon replied with a picture of her own dinner, on her way to her destination just outside Phoenix. She’d discovered an authentic Mexican restaurant, a hole-in-the-wall, and the food was delicious.
She’d won the contest.
Small, Unnoticed, Excellent
I love playing that game: finding a restaurant or coffee shop that nobody knows about, and that punches above its weight. It’s even better when it’s quirky and hard to find. Every town has one if you look hard enough.
These small places often go unnoticed. People pass them to go to the franchises. Many of them struggle to make ends meet. There’s nothing flashy about them. In my experience, though, the quality and enjoyment when things go right are tenfold what you’d find at a chain.
I know people who would never eat at these small establishments. Too risky. They settle for predictable and boring coffee and food. It’s a shame. They don’t know what they’re missing.
The Small, Unnoticed, Excellent Church
In the past seven years, I’ve had the privilege of visiting scores of churches. Some of them have been the church equivalent of the chain restaurant. You know what you’re going to get in these churches: solid, predictable, well-programmed execution. They are good churches, and I’m grateful for them.
But sometimes I visit the hole-in-the-wall church. You know the one I mean: small, with not much Internet presence, an unknown pastor, and (generally) an unimpressive facility. Things are less predictable, and many avoid these churches. Too risky. You’re not exactly sure what you’re going to get.
But I’ve been surprised. Many of them punch above their weight. I’ve walked into many of these churches and have felt surprised at the life, at the warmth of the people, the dedication and skill of the pastor, and the local reach of that congregation.
Nobody knows about them, but the local community does, and so does God.
Before I visited these churches, I thought I’d be discouraged by my experience. Increasingly I’m encouraged. God is active in small, unnoticed churches. He has his people there too: congregants who’ve sacrificed faithfully for years to make the ministry happen and pastors who have found their place in obscurity, serving with no fanfare and little notice except among the few who know.
Look hard enough and you’ll probably find a church like this in your community. Maybe you attend one. If you attend a church like this, you probably don’t realize how good you have it. The big churches get all the attention, and the little ones seem so insignificant.
But I praise God for these hole-in-the-wall churches. Only eternity will reveal the impact of the faithful men and women who serve there.
I’m always encouraged when I find one. And I usually leave feeling like I’ve found something hidden but valuable, known only to God, the people of that community — and now, by God’s grace, me.
