01/19/2025
Why does our church meet in a hotel?
This question was posed to us by a local person recently: What's the purpose of attending a "meeting" at the Holiday Inn when there are so many local churches that teach the Word and have room & welcome many people to attend?
It's a fair question.
There are many reasons.
First, let's agree that in the history of churches, we're not the first one to ever start out in a hotel meeting room. One example among many is Lifeway Baptist Church in Cranberry Township. They started in a hotel meeting room in 2011, graduated to a storefront, and now meet in a conventional-looking church building. Note that their journey has evolved over 14 years thus far.
The Church Where You Live began on April 1, 2018. We've held services at the Grove City Hampton Inn and (during the shutdown in 2020-21) at Grove City Christian Academy and member's homes. We currently hold services at the Holiday Inn Express in Grove City, for two primary reasons:
1. Location: it's convenient for most of our people.
2. Cost: for our size, it's a very affordable option.
We're not bound to stay there. We don't believe the Bible teaches that the church should meet in wayside inns, or that church organizations that invest in property and facilities are doing it wrong.
Did you notice the implication in this person's query is that we aren't a "real church"?
Well, here's a question for you - what does a "real church" look like?
Let us know your thoughts. Better yet, and particularly if you're tired of "fake church", pay us a visit at 10:30 AM, Holiday Inn Express, Grove City. Come and see what a Christ-centered church can be.
