I found God at this church

Fun fact - this info came from my Muslim Friend. Anyways, what I heard got me interested enough to check them out on social media. Seeing their content, I decided to attend their Sunday Service.

Here is what happened.

On October 29, 2017, I got there just in just as the service was starting by 9 AM. It kicked off with prayers, followed by something unusual but cool called Love Note, an opportunity for a member to share their ‘Coming to Jesus and Living a righteous Life’ story. I found this really interesting and captivating.

The Singing.

Next was an impressive praise and worship session led by Mairo Ese. This brought the roof down, in a good way of course. It was not the normal ‘sing for 20 minutes or more, then move to the sermon.’

No, this was something more. This was deep ministration, supported with heartfelt songs from artists like Travis Greene (one of my favourites). It was in the midst of this session that I felt and found God. I have always heard and seen of people falling under the power of the Holy Spirit, bursting into tears, crying uncontrollably, falling and so on. This is exactly what happened to me. One minute I was simply singing Greene's 'Worship Rise', the next moment I was wiping tears off my face. It was definitely something.

I would describe the feeling as what the Apostles must have felt in Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit descended upon them.

They were in an upper room when this happened and we were also upstairs. You can call it a coincidence, I choose to see it as a divine setup. This lasted for a while, but it was so good that I imagine no one wanted it to end.

The Sermon

This was followed by the preaching done by Pastor Ferdy Adimefe. This was titled: ‘Breaking the Mould.’ He did a good job by providing the perfect Bible verses to go with the theme. What really got me was the 'interactiveness' of the preaching.

Unlike the older churches where the pastor preaches at the congregation before taking his leave, The Tribe asked questions and gave people the opportunity to answer. The result was a lively, fun, enlightening session.

Unfortunately, there were a few times where people got a little excited with their answers, but it was awesome. Eventually, this came to end. It was followed by announcements, then the final singing session.

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My experience

I have to admit that this was really cool for me. Okay, maybe I am a little biased but it's only because I finally found something that I didn't think existed in Nigeria. This is a place where there is no egos, no drama, no unnecessary distractions, just a place where people can simply fellowship with fellow believers.

Their website states that “We’re not into programs or hype; we’re into JESUS and relationships. We do not judge anyone by their past as we seek to create an environment where people are accepted for who they are and encouraged through sound teaching and intimacy with the Holy Spirit, to learn how to walk in their new life and restored identity in Christ.”

This was what I got from my time there, a place without the normal, sometimes depressing experience you get from every other church. For me, it is a presentation for the idealistic fellowship found in the Bible (see Ephesians 5:18–21).

Last words.

Honestly, everyone needs to attend a non-denominational church like this at least once in their lifetime.

Trust me, it is totally worth it.

What is The Tribe Lagos?

This church is “a gospel expression with a vision to be an authentic, artistic, creative, faith community of God-lovers, known for expressing God’s love, fostering meaningful relationships, and offering a safe place for all to experience healing, hope, and grace along their spiritual journey.”

It started in February, 2017.