Since the day I was born 66 years ago, I’ve always thought churches are cool. 

As a pastor’s kid, I never grumbled at the number of times we trekked to church, even on vacation. It was a happy, social place filled with fun friends. I learned parables and Bible stories that shaped the person I wanted to become. I learned about hope, grace, forgiveness and the importance of caring for others.

The feelings I grew up with continue today. Participating in a church that provides meaningful, life-giving messages and opportunities to form strong personal connections is crucial to me. Equally important, if not more so, is the church’s active outreach in the community and beyond. To me, a cool church isn’t one that’s polished and pristine; it’s one with open doors and carpets worn with use from busy comings and goings.

“Being a center for worship is important for churches, but there’s much more a church should do,” said Debe Colby, director of outreach and ministry at First Presbyterian Church in Grand Junction. “Jesus tells us to be the ‘salt of the earth’ and ‘light of the world.’ This means living out our faith by demonstrating Christian values through actions. Individuals can always love their neighbor and proclaim the good news, but a church has the power and responsibility to bring many people together to do the same.”

While we’re fortunate to be getting a new community center, I’d argue that we’ve had community centers here for decades. Churches have long welcomed people from all walks of life, offering their facilities for a wide range of functions.

“In today’s world, churches serve our community seven days a week,” said Colby. “They provide a place for homeless individuals to spend the night when the local shelter is overflowing. They provide a place for non-profits to hold events. They provide spaces for people struggling with addiction, abuse, mental health or grief in support groups.”

As a “cool church,” First Presbyterian Church is a gathering place for many groups, including AA, book clubs, quilters, writers, filmmakers, youth programs, Bible studies, community organizations, music ensembles and many more.

Colby emphasized how churches collaborate to serve communities. From ShareFest in the spring to the annual valley-wide worship service, the night of prayer for Israel and the National Day of Prayer, she said, “Our church community has the needs of the people—whether they attend a church or not—on their hearts.”

Pastor Tom Hansen summed it up: “We roll up our sleeves, locally and globally, giving of our time, prayers, financial resources, abilities and God-directed passions. We are always finding ways to push our ministry outside the walls of our church. We want to offer the good news and ourselves as a gift to the people and organizations of our community and beyond.”

In other words, churches are cool!