Welcome to That Church By the Vape Shop

If you’ve ever felt out of place in a traditional church, you’re not alone. The idea for That Church By the Vape Shop was born from a vision – a storefront church with chill vibes and classic rock wafting out to the parking lot, a beacon for anyone seeking God’s grace but feeling unwelcome in conventional pews. It was intended to be a space where the prodigal, the perplexed, the curious, the cautious, etc. could gather without judgment or pretense; a place where grace was preached and practiced.

At one point, I imagined it as the first of many (hopefully low-rent) locations. Maybe there’d be That Church By the Pawn Shop, By the Nail Salon, By the Strip Club etc. Each would be a sanctuary for the overlooked and the outcast, a reminder that God’s love isn’t confined to stained glass and steeples. Perhaps there would have been attempts at viral videos with fog machines and Orange Cassidy impersonations.

However, as I reflected, I realized a few things. There is a lot of disagreement over worship styles. Some only love the soaring harmonies of old hymns, others find God in acoustic guitars, and I like that guy on YouTube who sets the rantings of televangelists to metal. Who’s to say one way is better than another? While the Earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, including awesome guitar riffs, the Hank Hills of the world (that I am also trying to include) would opine: “You’re not making Christianity better; you’re just making rock and roll worse.” I would miss the old hymns (many of which were drinking songs with new lyrics), baroque pipe organ solos, the candlelit lessons and carols service for Christmas Eve, venite adoremus, gloria in excelsis Deo, elderly Protestants being slightly more like Hot Topic mall goths for Good Friday, etc., if I had stuck to my original concept of this place exclusively. Creating a space where everyone’s preferences fit would be a challenge. Does the world really need someone like me to rework popular songs? “Bring a bucket and a mop for this wet mass baptism?” Also, I admire those more gifted in the interpersonal dimension of pastoral care. I’d rather focus on Bible exposition than refereeing family fights, dealing with practical matters like everyone’s hubcaps getting stolen during the service, etc. Ultimately, I realized that physical locations, as meaningful as what they might accomplish might be, can only touch so many lives. The Internet, however, can connect many more seekers across miles and mindsets. There are a lot of smartphones in the world now. I’ve written to other ministers to no avail about some of the issues we’ll look at here; if my words continue to fall on deaf ears in my lifetime, who’s to say they won’t make a difference in future generations?

Hence, That Church By the Vape Shop is a blog.

I primarily want y’all to know about the salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ that is available to all who believe, and “y’all” includes “all”. As it is written in John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

In this community of faith and grace, we’ll also wrestle with questions that don’t have easy answers and celebrate the God who welcomes us, flaws and all. We won’t agree on everything, but we can all benefit from reflecting, connecting, and growing in Him.

If you’ve ever wondered if there’s room for you in God’s story, I hope you’ll find encouragement here. You don’t have to fit a mold or have it all figured out to belong.

Grab a cup of coffee (or whatever your thing is), and let’s journey through the Bible together. Welcome to That Church By the Vape Shop. There’s enough grace for everyone here.

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