Does God need bouncers posted outside the House of the Lord?

We do need bouncers — if they are the right kind.

For about 15 years, my wife and I served a ministry called the Koinonia Koffee House. It was a weekly Christian Koffeehouse, sponsored by the music ministry of a Evangelical, Pentecostal Church in California, to supply a stage for local Christian music ministries.

My wife served on the hospitality team and I was the bouncer.

The position of “bouncer” became recognized as a critical part of the ministry, not because it kept people out, but because it allowed a safe way for those who did not understand what was going on, to enter into the Koinonia community.

At that time, I was also a leader in the local, Roman Catholic Charismatic Renewal! Normally, members of the Evangelical and Catholic communities don’t get along, with many of our visitors holding beliefs that Catholics were pagans who worshiped Mary, or worshiped idols, etc.

However, within the Koinonia community, we didn’t wear denominational labels. We lived within the brotherhood of Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was our witness and our guide.

So, what is the Right Kind of Bouncer?

My job as a bouncer was to stand in the back, praying for the ministry, and watching for any signs of disruption. Someone talking too loud, heckling the band, interrupting speakers or just not comfortable.

It could also simply be someone at the door, asking a lot of questions.

I would talk to the people involved, and if needed, suggest we take our conversation into the adjacent classroom to talk where we wouldn’t disrupt the music. The music was audible in that room as it served as the overflow room or the “cry room” for young children.

We would talk about anything that person wanted to talk about. It became a counseling ministry where I would find myself talking to people who never were part of any religious community, or had left the community they were part of, or were fully active in their local community, but didn’t have anyone who would listen to them.

And, that is mainly what I did. I listened. I answered direct questions with statements clearly identified as “my understanding”, “my belief” and not “The Truth”. I did not attempt to evangelize, as that wasn’t my ministry. My goal was to help them find peace on their journey. I wasn’t there to force them into a journey defined by my beliefs, but to help them articulate their beliefs and their faith.

Where does this fit in the Christian walk?

A lot of people look to Ephesians 4 for their marching orders.

Ephesians 4:11–13 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

But, hiding under verse 12, the works of service, are many important gifts for serving your local community. 1 Corinthians 12 has a different list.

1 Corinthian 12:7–11: 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

These lists are not contradicting. They are complementary.

For me, it was the gift of healing that worked in my ministry as a bouncer. Not necessarily physical healing, but more in the realm of spiritual healing. I could preach hell-fire and brimstone with the best of them, but that was not my calling. My calling was to listen, counsel, pray, and find help if needed.

Healing prayer is non-denominational.

I don’t know how many times my status as a heathen member of the pagan worshiping Roman Catholic Church came up. Often by people who had left the Catholic Church. The results of those conversations. mostly, ended up with healing and a recognition that that God can minister to you where you are, as long as you will listen to Him. The end result was exposure to a different vision of Christian community, where everyone was welcomed.

In fact, we had a couple of strongly committed atheists who became regular visitors. I could see the slow healing of whatever drove them to atheism and was content to stay out of God’s way.

Does your church need a bouncer?

A critical part of every ministry are the greeters, the hospitality, the bouncers, as long as they are the right kind.

What kind of bouncer does your community have?