Mystery Worshipper: Amanda B. Reckondwyth
Church:
The Branch, Peoria
Location: Arizona, USA
Date of visit: Sunday, 25 January 2026, 10:15am
The building
They took over a building formerly occupied by Celebration Lutheran Church, which dissolved in late 2020. It is a plain looking building from the outside, unremarkable. Inside is likewise plain, with gray cinderblock walls topped by clerestory windows framed in wood paneling. The stage, holding only musical instruments, was backed by a wall of artificial greenery. I noted that a door that caught my attention when I visited the Lutheran congregation several years back, over which the letters FACP appear, is still so marked. I wondered at the time what the abbreviation stood for – the only thing I could think of was ‘Fellow, American College of Physicians’ – and wondered if it was the entrance to an infirmary. I have since learned that the abbreviation stands for Fire Alarm Control Panel. Wouldn’t it prove more useful, if a fire were to break out, if the door were labeled with its full name?
The church
They have the usual men’s, women’s and children’s ministries as well as a ‘Skate Ministry’ for young folk into skateboarding. The Skate Ministry meets weekly for Bible study followed by recreation, which I assume is a skateboarding orgy. Not being into skateboarding herself, Miss Amanda will never know, alas. They also sponsor Growth Groups, which (quoting from their website) ‘exist to make life-changing relationships relevant and accessible.’ There is a Sunday morning service, which includes children’s church and a youth group, as well as a Wednesday evening service.
The neighborhood
They are located on Olive Avenue in this western suburb of Phoenix. A vacant lot next to the church tends to attract Christmas tree vendors at Christmastime, and fireworks vendors for New Year’s Day and Independence Day. Olive Avenue, which becomes Dunlap Avenue as it crosses the Phoenix city line, is one of the few east-west arteries that cross the tracks of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad via a bridge; others cross via a grade crossing. As such it tends to see more traffic than do other east-west routes and can become quite congested at times. The BNSF tracks run parallel to Grand Avenue, the major northwest route out of town. Fans of the Alfred Hitchcock movie Psycho will recall that Marion Crane makes her getaway via Grand Avenue after stealing her employer’s bank deposit.
The cast
The pastor, nattily dressed in a maroon sport shirt and khaki trousers, led the service and preached. A woman who gave her name but was not otherwise identified greeted us and read some announcements.
What was the name of the service?
Sunday Service.How full was the building?
I counted about 60 chairs and they were about half full at the start of the service, but pretty much full by the time the first worship song had concluded. Approximately one-third young people (about whom more later), with the rest being a mixed crowd of middle aged to elderly.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
A very warm welcome indeed! Several people introduced themselves, shook my hand, and said hello, welcome, glad you came.
Was your pew comfortable?
Padded chairs – comfortable enough.
How would you describe the pre-service atmosphere?
Lots of friendly visiting.
What were the exact opening words of the service?
After the opening song: ‘Hello, good morning, welcome to The Branch.’
What books did the congregation use during the service?
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, was in the seats. A sermon outline was also available.
What musical instruments were played?
A digital keyboard remained silent. Instruments that spoke were two acoustic guitars and a drum set. There were two female vocalists.
Did anything distract you?
The principal distraction occurred during the offering. I am always leery of depositing my Mystery Worship calling card in the collection, since I never know if the offerings will be counted right away or if they will be saved for later. I was almost struck once by an angry usher who demanded to know who had deposited the card. So I refrained from depositing it this time. However, I noticed that the ushers emptied their collection bags into a closed box via a slit in the top, so I slipped the calling card through the slit when no one was looking.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or what?
It was the standard evangelical ‘worship’ music, prayer, and sermon, but rather low-keyed. The music was of the light Christian rock kind, but not overly loud as is often the case. People stood, clapped, and raised their arms, but I saw very few mouths moving. Immediately after the first song, announcements were made and the collection was taken up. This was followed by a prayer, more ‘worship,’ and a rather mild meet and greet: ‘Say hello to someone.’ As soon as this was over, almost all of the young people got up and left – adjourning to youth church, I would assume (and hope). No communion today – they celebrate the Lord’s Supper the first Sunday of the month.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
45 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
7 — This is a very hard one to rate. The sermon notes that we received dealt exclusively with the importance of giving money to the church. The pastor can’t possibly be going to speak on that, I thought. But he spoke clearly and conversationally, establishing good rapport with the congregation. And he managed to give a biblical rationale for the nature and importance of giving to the church. I thought I was going to dislike the sermon, but I actually ended up liking it, although I do think he dragged it out a bit too long.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon about?
The pastor’s texts were 2 Corinthians 8-9 (Paul’s argument for giving) and Proverbs 27:23-24 (riches won’t last forever). He began by apologizing to visitors for ‘talking shop with his congregation’ and said that the church was solvent at present but that tithing had gone down and they have had to cut back (although reluctantly) on some programs. The remainder of the sermon was basically an expansion of Paul’s argument. God doesn’t want our money – he wants our hearts. Giving is a spiritual discipline, not a commandment. To give willingly and generously is to receive God’s grace. Think of what Jesus gave for our sakes. We can never repay God for what Jesus gave us.
Which part of the service was like being in heaven?
Before he began his sermon, the pastor said that for those whose native language might not be English, the sermon would be available in 62 languages from an organization called Words Without Borders. What a heavenly idea!
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
Well, nothing really stooped to that level. I’d be pushing it if I said that the pastor’s sermon was just a wee bit too long. But it amazes me how so many gentlemen have forgotten what their fathers surely taught them about gentlemen removing their hats in church.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
Their website proclaims (setting aside the fact that fellowship is not a verb): ‘Plan on spending time with us afterwards to fellowship, meet new people, and be prayed for!’ I slipped out during the closing prayer, so I’m afraid they had to fellowship without me.
How would you describe the after-service coffee?
It being my birthday (Miss Amanda turned 81 today, if you must know), I retired to a local Italian restaurant for a plate of angel hair pasta in marinara sauce, followed by some frozen yogurt from a shop a few doors down.
How would you feel about making another visit (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
4 — Again, this is a hard question to answer. This is not my style of worship, but I was moved by the sincere friendliness of the congregation and their low-key approach to modern worship. I would like to return to see what their communion service is like. And I may even take up skateboarding!
Did the service make you feel glad to be a Christian?
Yes.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time ?
Well, I have to say it – a member of the congregation who proved to be a pleasant distraction.