Love. My. Church.

I attend Church of the Highlands here in Birmingham and I LOVE IT! I am blessed to have been raised in great churches. Many of my closest friends today are people that I developed relationships with through my youth group. When I graduated from Auburn in 2003 I moved back to Birmingham and attended COTH off and on, but within the past year or so I have become more consistent in attending and have really tried to get involved through small groups. I have met some great new friends and have been challenged and encouraged in my faith. Here are some of the reasons I love my church:
1. It is soooo alive! That is best way I can describe the feeling during worship services. Everyone is worshipping freely in a variety of ways. (Yes, this made me extremely uncomfortable at first. Being raised in a Baptist church, I never saw people raise their hands, clap, shout out, etc., but now I have even been known to join right in!)
2. I can wear jeans! It is so laid back and casual, especially at the campus I go to.
3. I love my pastor. His sermons are convicting and encouraging. He is funny and easy to understand, so he keeps my attention.
4. The music is amazing! Traditional songs? No. Hymn books? No. Refer back to #1.
5. They have live online streaming of the 9:30 and 11:15 services, so if I am not feeling well or tired (aka lazy) I can stay in my pajamas on my couch and feel like I am right there.
So, is COTH for everyone? No. Is it for me? Yes. My prayer is that no matter what church you attend, you feel as close to God as I do when you are there.