If you plan to come to the Agape Church in Culver City arrive early! Despite its two large parking lots it took me 15 minutes of driving around in circles to finally follow the flags guiding me to the satellite parking down the road. There is a shuttle that will take parishoners to and from this lot, but I walked the two short blocks. Finally making my way inside at five-till-eleven, I see that the place is packed! Luckily I am meeting my cousins who arrived at 10:30 when the doors open for the service. I sit with them waaaay in the back corner of the church while others wait by for openings, or take a seat outside to watch the service through television monitors.

The Church Building
The Church looks like a gutted office building, or a warehouse in which they have put up some curtains and a stage to make it appear to be an actual, traditional church sanctuary. Still, the somewhat industrial environment does nothing to discourage people from attending, rather this is a profoundly popular church. So what about this place so effectively lures people in?

The Church Vision
This International Spirtitual Center, which one parishoner described as a "Science of Mind" church, has a very broad appeal, but it is not a Christian church. They believe that we are created with known gifts that we may stifle through fear and societal expectations, but that through self-affirmation we can realize our natural dreams and gifts, and by so doing, we are actually becoming the person God would want us to be. The philosophy links together emotions, God, and experiences, and asserts that we create emotions through our experiences which may ultimately create boxes which limit us to see ourselves in the eyes of the material world and our own fears rather than in terms of our great potential to attain a life that God sees as reaching our capacity. A very enriching vision.

The Message
This particular Sunday was the youth Sunday. While it was not typical of the ordinary service, you could see the impact of the church message in the young people . The children and youth perform songs, dances, and read poetry and bits of personal insight. Because the youth who deliver parts of the service are such natural performers, visitors are offered an understanding of the effectiveness of this institution. Unlike typical insecure adolescents, these young people are confident, self-assured, and driven and cannot wait to participate.

The message, delivered by Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith is consistent with the vision of the church and organization with which he is associated. He seems to inspire a kind of awakening allowing you to meditate into an inner voice that will push you to face your fears and obtain the confidence to attempt to try new things, and achieve your personal dreams. While there is not talk of Jesus, except peripherally among all of the major religious founders, the idea of living for today, planning for tomorrow, and being the very best person you can be as being an example of God himself is intriguing. However, it takes a position of self-interest and self-centeredness that is somewhat contrary to my Christian beliefs. Still, an environment such as this and messages such as these may be just what one needs to pull out of a slump and into progress and greater enlightenment. And that is without question a good thing, and may be just what the doctor ordered. Apparently for many, they are moved to tears through the service.

Music
It is definitely a clap and holler church, with words for songs (not hymns) on a projection screen, a drum set, guitars and professional singers being words of inspiration to our ears, and for some people, a little pep in their step as they dance in the halls.