Troy de Freitas - Church Visit #3

Church Name: Igreja Assembléia de Deus Ministério do Belém
Church Address: 2625 Laramie Ave., Chicago, IL 60639
Date Attended: March 30
Church Category: Different ethnic or racial demographic

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from you regular context?
It was significantly different in terms of both theology and worship practice. The church was very charismatic in both the technical and common sense. People were very warm and friendly, and it was common during the service to hear people speak from the congregation to the pulpit, and vice-versa. There was a strong emphasis on moral character and personal piety. There was also a strong christus victor slant to their theology, which portrayed Christ's victory over the problems of life, usually framed in terms of financial, health and interpersonal problems.

What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?
I really found the warmth of the Church appealing. The pastor invited us (those visiting) to stand and introduced us by name to the congregation, and afterwards offered his help to us in any way we needed. Their freedom and passion in worship was evident, and they had a strong sense of the Spirit's involvement in their daily lives, in both struggles and successes.

What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?
The service was extremely long. It seemed like most of congregation was asked to participate in some way, either singing or giving a testimony or praying. It was also completely in Portuguese, and though I speak some Portuguese myself, it was difficult to pin down absolutely everything that was said.

What aspects of Scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived as clearly in you regular context?
After learning about christus victor in class, it was really cool to see how it was worked out in its actual local context. Though I grew up in a Pentecostal context, it was interesting to see how when given the proper vocabulary to consider a topic theology, I had a better grasp of what was going on and could articulate the theological considerations which went into the language of the church. I really enjoyed seeing the connection between the theological conviction as Christ as victorious and the work of the Spirit in the daily life of the believer.