The Church Hopper

Now that I know the correct service time for River Oak Church, I arrived promptly 10:20am. This gave me enough time to park and scope out which door that I should enter. [Side-note: Churches have a lot of doors, and most churches (all that I have visited so far) have not had signs to help people like me know where to enter. So, if you are a church staff member or are involved in your church, think of things through a visitor’s eyes and update your outside and indoor signs!]

This church is round, has two buildings, and two large parking lots so I was not sure where to go at first. Luckily, as I was following a group in I saw visitor parking right by one of the entrances. I am not sure if I would have parked there if I would have seen it, but I was happy to see that they have them. Upon entering I noticed how well painted and updated the church seemed. The foyer area was very polished and professional looking. This was my first time visiting a larger church so I quickly looked around to see how the church was laid out. I was looking for a bathroom and went to ask a lady who seemed to be a greeter. I was super impressed because they had everything you could need in that bathroom… hairspray, static guard, lotion, feminine products, etc.

Next I went into the sanctuary, that is also round, and the congressional pews are laid out like a fan. I sat to the far right and tried to go unnoticed. I wanted to go unnoticed because I know several members of this church and I did not want then to see that I was there. My way of thinking is that if they recognize me, they will then introduce me to other people, make sure that I fell welcome, and ask me to sit with them. Call me crazy but to me that takes away from a true visitor experience.

As the service started they announced that the pastor and his wife were on vacation so they had their bishop there to bring the message. The music was a blend of a band, horn section, choir, lead singers, and the worship pastor. It very much gave you the vibes of a televised worship service. (Maybe they are?) There was a camera woman that was recording the service and I do know they go LIVE of their facebook page. There was also a photographer that was going around and taking pictures throughout the service. I found that kinda odd, but maybe it was just for this service since the bishop was there. They sermon was about ”Faith” and ended in an alter call. I was happy to see that the invitation was for anyone who needed prayer. It was touching to see people go to the alter to pray with and for their church family members. Worship ended right around noon, so it an hour and a half service. I was able to leave unnoticed by my friends, but also unnoticed by anyone else.

Name/Address: River Oak Church

120 Riveroak Blvd Danville, VA 24541

Attendance: around 115 people

Denomination: Church of God

Facebook/Website: This church has a very active Facebook page and website.

Signage: The do have a sign at the road.

Live Stream or recorded messages: Yes, they live stream to their Facebook page.

Children/Youth: They seem to have something for all ages at this church@