Church of the Open Door — Local services in Maple Grove

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...

We had such high hopes with attending our first sunday here, especially with all the great reviews we read. The building looks great, the child care area looks great, the music worship was wonderful. We thought we found a hidden gen because its tucked back in a neighborhood, but OH MY GOSH the pastor was without a doubt high on some kind of ADHD stimulant drug. Of course I'm assuming this because he even mentioned that he has ADD. I knew right away that he was high as a kite on a stimulant. He waves his hands all over the place obsessively, talks so fast and in circles and he was clearly all over the map. He even paused every couple of minutes to stop, take his glasses off and wipe the sweat from his face. We are really disappointed and bummed out in the churches decision on the new lead pastor. We are a family with multiple masters degrees and we couldn't even stay focused on what he was preaching. So disappointed, needless to say we won't be back until they find another pastor. Lots of empty seats indicates that there is a big problem since the old...

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....