Let me start by saying I am not a bible-beating, condemning Christian. I let people know I am praying for them in times of trouble, and I am always willing to talk with someone about my faith. I talk openly about my church and the weekly messages. This open camaraderie with those around me about my faith oftentimes ends with me saying, "Come with me on Sunday if you want!" and one Sunday my friend finally took me up on my offer.

I was running late (Sunday is a day of rest, which means I always sleep through my alarm by accident), and texted her that she could wait by the coffee bar for me, or she could go inside so she wouldn't miss worship. She told me worship was her favorite part. So I scurried in, caffeinated and looking for my friend halfway through the first worship song. I stood next to my friend and swayed along with my favorite song, sneaking glances out of the side of my eye to see if she was enjoying herself (and ignoring my tone deafness) and she seemed to be. After worship was over we settled into our seats and the message began.

Sometimes you go to church and you feel like God is speaking directly to you through the pastor. You know that the message you're listening to is one that you've needed to hear. You get goosebumps, you feel a warmth, and sometimes you cry. This happened to me the first time my friend invited me to go with her to Action Church. It's been a year and a half since that Sunday, and I feel like inviting my friends to have that same experience is the least I can do.

As I sit and took notes (I like to remember verses for later), I heard my friend start to sniffle. The message was one of those tailor-made just for her. He was speaking through our pastor and telling her that sometimes Jesus calms the storm, and other times He calms his children through the storm.

She was going through a storm and hearing all these things gave her the reaffirmation she needed.

It's important to find a church you like and connect with. Going through the motions and attending church because it's what your parents told you makes you a good Christian is only putting roadblocks in your path to walk with Christ. You need to go to a church that gets you excited to worship, excited to learn, and excited to connect with people who are just as enthusiastic about creating a relationship with God.

As a millennial, I connect with a different church environment than my baby boomer parents, but afterward, we all meet back and talk about the messages we heard, how we feel, and what we think that means for serving better. While we worship and pray in different ways, we still connect and bond through our gratefulness to God and everything he has given us.

I can't speak for my love of God because I fail him every day, but I can speak about His love for me because it is unfailing. At the end of every service, our pastors tie in the message with someone sitting in the congregation who was touched and wants to reaffirm their faith, wants to dedicate, or rededicate their life to christ, or who has been lost and wants to be found. Rewind to about a year ago when I raised my hand in the realization that I hadn't been a very good Christian.

Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than sitting in a garage makes you a car.

I had been sitting in the garage pretending if I convinced myself hard enough I could get 16 miles per gallon. It wasn't until I was sitting in church with tears streaming down my face that I realized with the choices I was making I was failing God every day, and the bible verses tattooed on my feet were no longer serving the reminders I got them to be, instead they were another example of me trying to convince myself that having those on me permanently meant that I would always have the same conviction in Christ that I had when I got them. This change of heart and lightbulb moment set me down the road to redemption and rediscovery.

Fast-forward back to sitting next to my friend, with our heads bowed and eyes closed. We were asked if that message had brought us to realizing we were in a storm and we needed God to calm us, or the storm around us. I felt her arm raise and I reached over and grabbed her hand. I felt her shaking as she cried, and afterward, she told me that was everything she had needed to hear.

I took my friend to church, and I got to watch her experience the moment of clarity when you find a place where you belong.

The feeling of stepping into a holy atmosphere and being comforted knowing that in this place you will be filled with love and grace and healing.

I took my friend to church and got to introduce her to my small group leader, someone who has helped facilitate and mold me as I grow through christ.

I took my friend to church and we stood side by side, hands outstretched and hearts open as we engaged in worship.

I took my friend to church and I got to experience what it was like to do God's bidding, and help to reunite the flock.

I took my friend to church, and I will continue to do so. With whoever wants to go, whoever has questions they want answered, and whoever just wants to see what it's all about. I took my friend to church, and hope she takes her friends, and they take their friends.

P.S. Anyone who WANTS to check out Action Church online here's a link to a few messages from Sundays past.