Postcards mailed by the Rev. Steve Pollard at Connected, a new church in Carson City, give straight information to those wanting to bring Christ into their lives or are simply looking for a change.
The postcard read, "@Connected, you won't find: music from the 1700s; religious pickpockets, or Elvis look-alike contests. But, you will find: killer music, no dress code and the Truth. So if you're looking for the real deal, come on down. Sorry, no perfect people allowed."
Pollard says for those who want to rock, feel the excitement of Christ, and accept everyone for who they are - including themselves, Connected is the real deal.
"The greatest commandment in Scripture is to love God and love other people," said Pollard. "That is one of our goals.
"And, we're here to rock. We are not a Bible-thumping, hit-you-over-the-head, turn-or-burn kind of church. But we're not a soft-pedaled, vanilla kind of church, either. Here, we give people what they want - the truth. We exist to connect people with God.
"We have people of all age groups, but mostly those between 18 and 39. We also have a very large group of single men."
On a large video screen, the church showed the Super Bowl and this year's Daytona 500 NASCAR race.
"Much of this age group has never been to church before. Many of their parents don't attend church, and many of them don't know who their parents are. But that's OK, they're here."
People are greeted in the coffee house area, where they can get a cup of coffee and a pastry or cookie. There are chairs, tables and a couch with recliner.
What Pollard has noticed about his congregation is the elderly. They come in one week then bring their children and grandchildren the next.
"They go home and tell their kids about us, saying, 'You'd like this church.' And the next week, the kids and grandkids are with them. They are very open-minded to what we do here."
Pollard describes Sunday service as "EPIC."
"E is for a true experience of God. P is participatory - however they want to participate, whether it be lighting a candle, praying at the altar or participating in communion. Or they can just sit in their seats and pray.
"I is for image. It's all visual. In America, we're losing the younger generation. Much of what keeps their attention is visual. And C is for connection. We want people to connect with God, and we're here to help them find that connection and provide others who can help them with their journey."
Connected is developing a children's church with the help of Missy Gleason.
"We have a nursery, and a lot of young people in their late teens to say, 25 years of age. We also have a strong ladies' ministry that helps the younger women."
Pollard said he found Christ at age 16 while living in Virginia. While driving the church bus to pick up members, he met his wife, Doris. They have been married 31 years and have children Matthew in Florida, Sabrina in Carson City and Amanda in Reno; and one grandchild.
"At 50, this is it for me. It's either going to happen, or it's not. We are a part of the body of Christ, and we are different because we're not doing what everybody else is doing.
"Life is a transformation, and we don't claim to know all the answers. We're not going to be afraid to change."
Pollard gives fair notice if someone is looking for any kind of religious structure- Connected is not the kind of place you want.
"We have two strong music teams," Pollard said. "They perform two weeks each, and one's a little more rock-ish than the other. They are pretty great."
"We're loud, and we rock. We praise God. We have biker types and young people and older people. We've been blessed with a lot of good music, and we play it."
Pollard said average Sunday attendance is 150. Connected began services in January.
Contact Rhonda Costa-Landers at rcosta-landers@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1223.
