what to expect
Visiting a church for the first time can be a nerve-wracking, uncomfortable experience.
Here are some things you can know about our church before you visit to help you feel more at home.
Why Church?
We’ve all asked that question...and there’s no easy answer! It’s hard to trust any community with something as important as your relationship with God, especially when you know people are flawed and complicated.
But at the center of Christianity is a God with an unstoppable desire to foster meaningful relationships: between God and people, between people themselves, and between the church and God's world… we aren’t intended to live life or wrestle with faith alone.
At Revolution, we believe that we can be a witness to God’s bottomless love and an example of what it means to wrestle and grow with our faith together. Following Jesus isn’t easy! But even in our doubts, if we take the things we are struggling to believe and put them into practice together, we learn to ask better questions and live in ways that are more beneficial for others. This is part of the miracle of the Jesus story: God loves his creation so much that he steps in to answer their doubts, call them into grace-filled relationships, and walk with them towards becoming instruments of healing and justice in the world. He is a God of communion, and we want to be people of communion, too.
Mobile Church
Revolution is a mobile church. This means we do not have a permanent building, and instead, we set up and break down all of the equipment we use for our church gatherings in rental spaces. This is all done by a small team of volunteers, who work hard each week to transform our setting into a comfortable place for teaching, worship, and questions. In the past, we have met in hotel lobbies, bars, and an elementary school.
Currently, we meet at Mills-Parole Elementary School at 1 George and Marion Phelps Lane in Annapolis every Sunday morning at 10:00 am.
What are Services Like?
We want our gatherings to be opportunities for participation and practice. Although our one-hour service's tone and style are casual, we include several traditional elements from the historic Christian tradition alongside contemporary songs and teaching.
The purpose is to allow everyone to engage with what they believe personally and with the common faith we are trying to explore together. Although the structures of services vary from week to week, they always include a time of announcements, prayer, music, teaching rooted in Scripture, and the opportunity to receive Communion. Our community isn’t large or intimidating, there is no dress code, and absolutely everyone is welcome!
Where Do Kids Go?
Revolution loves kids and students! During the adult service, revKIDS is the area where kids, aged newborn through 5th grade, can learn about God in a fun, exciting, and safe way. Safety is very important to us, so all revKIDS Team Members are background-checked and trained to work with children.
What does Revolution Church Value?
Belonging: Revolution is a safe place to belong before you believe. We want to imitate Jesus, who lived with and loved people, no matter what they thought about him.
Believing: We think beliefs grow as we wrestle with them. Questions are always welcome here, and we want to test our beliefs by putting them into practice in our lives.
Becoming: We believe God is always working to bring us and our world back into relationship with him. The church is part of God’s plan to seek justice, meet others’ needs, and share God's radical love.
What’s with the logo?
It’s a map of the city of Annapolis! It serves as a regular reminder that our church community has been put in a specific place, at a specific time, for specific people. We don’t exist for ourselves: we are called to share God’s love and hope with our neighbors, and we do that by building relationships, meeting needs, and being fully present in the places God has put us.