Church of the Open Door

We've been attending this church for over 10 years and it is home for us. It's a large church but they are doing a great job of building a sense of community and giving people a lot of ways to connect with each other. They are open and honest about what is going on behind the scenes and they make decisions very intentionally. They are welcoming to all, no matter their past or present circumstances. They love well instead of judge, which is one thing that is missing from a lot of churches. We love it!

Best music in the metro area. Sermons should improve once new senior pastor is established which should be very soon now. Excellent parking. Good access. Don't care for the 10am summer Sunday service time (9am is great for me) but that is just a very minor thing.

Been a member for 20+ years. Love the sermons, the worship, the people. Love that the leadership is fiscally responsible, that they work as a cohesive unit, that they are very prayerful about decisions and that they communicate well with the congregation. My teens love the mentor-based youth program and my 10 yo can't wait to go to Sunday school each week.

I grew up attending back when the church met in the Robbinsdale HS gym. Dave Johnson is one of my favorite pastors to listen to - very intelligent. The worship feels more like a concert these days and I live a bit further away now so I stopped attending. Back in college I had a discussion with a friend and we agreed it's not inspiring to tithe at a church where so much money would go towards producing a "show".

I have been attending Church of the Open Door off and on for about 12 years, but regularly for the past 4. During those 12 years I have moved 4 times in the metro area and attended several other churches in an attempt to find one close to me that met my spiritual growth needs. There are many excellent churches out there. What I appreciate so much about Open Door is that it is greatly focused on understanding the Bible as a whole. It is often and normal that the speaking pastor, usually David Johnson, will purposely locate any seeming contradictory verses and discuss them in depth alongside the main topic. I also appreciate the work he does in helping the congregation understand the context of the Scriptures being studied. In what context did the original author write and what would the original listeners have heard or understood? What was the original language and meaning? This has helped me immensely to truly understand the Bible and apply its teachings to my life today. But this type of in-depth study takes time and patience. Expect topics to be focused on for weeks or even months, in a sermon series. I love this involved analysis and understanding of the Word. Lastly know that this church is not just intellectual about the Bible. The congregation is called to be real and authentic and humble, and to struggle together to become fully alive in God. Pastor Johnson often refers to Sunday services as "the locker room" (I am not a sports person, I am an arts person, so believe there is a place for you here, too, whatever you have an affinity for...) In the locker room we get to be recharged, so we can do our difficult lives and be the hands and feet of Jesus in the world. Which also means we don't have to look or act perfect to come. This is truly the message of grace that many of us need. It can be a challenge to connect with others in a big church, and Open Door is aware of this fact. It has small groups to get involved with, and the Welcoming Place can help you with that. Blessings!