The Mystery Worshiper recently visited Westwood Baptist Church.  To find out about his/her experience there, read the full article.

Mystery Worshipper: Shirley Goodness

The church name:    Westwood Baptist

Denomination:    Southern Baptist

The building:    Large and new

The neighborhood:    Residential

The cast:    Guest Singer and Worship leader, Worship Team & Pastor

What was the name of the service (if any)?    Radical Vision “Live It”

How full was the building?    98%, approximately 6-700 in second service

Did anyone welcome you personally?    Yes, door two greeters

Was your pew comfortable?    Padded seats were comfortable

How would you describe the pre-service atmosphere?    Quietly visiting

What were the exact opening words of the service?    How many are excited about praising our God today?

What books did the congregation use during the service?    none

What musical instruments were played?    Keyboard, drums and guitars

Did anything distract you?    Temporary sound system problems

Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, charismatic, or what?    Contemporary, worshipful, joyful and passionate

Exactly how long was the sermon?    Twenty-five minutes

On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?    8

In a nutshell, what was the sermon about?    Golden Calves vs. Glowing Faces; choosing to obey and serve God and not idols.  Letting God’s light shine through us to others.

Which part of the service was like being in heaven?    Praise and worship

And which part was not so heavenly?    People not very friendly

What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?     A staff person gave info on church and inquired about church background

How would you describe the after-service environment and interaction?  People were heading home, some visited with friends or visited the guest singer’s tape table

How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?    8

Did the service make you feel glad to be a Christian?    Definitely

What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days’ time?    The fresh, contemporary praise and worship