Holy spirits?

On any night of the week, it’s not unusual to see friends enjoying their brews and mixed drinks on the upstairs deck of McGuire’s Irish Pub.

But on Tuesday nights, the pub-goers are joined by another type of ‘spirit.’

If the curiosity about ‘church’ in a well-known bar hasn’t killed you yet, it got the best of us here at The Log.

“The whole idea is to let people experience God at their own pace in a safe environment,” says Brian Buonassissi, music director for Shoreline Church. “We don’t want to be in their face.”

That was the observation as cocktail consumption mingled with a lesson from The Good Book.

McGuire’s fare wafted through the open-air atmosphere while the upbeat sounds of Shoreline’s music team kicked off the night with songs pertinent to the week’s theme, based loosely on ‘The Office’ series.

On this particular night, everyone was in for an attitude adjustment at work.

The crowd of more than two dozen, mostly ranging from young adult to middle age, settled in while a set of edgy, contemporary songs and quirky YouTube clips played to set the tone for Pastor Eric Partin’s message.

“The Office” sermon series, meant to “inspire survival at work,” addresses the daily issues that people deal with in the workplace. More specifically, attitude effectiveness, work/life balance, dealing with conflicts and blending in as a Christian were covered.

Shoreline Church’s self-proclaimed purpose is to “connect people with God, each other and the world.” The church aims to lace together people in all phases of building a growing relationship with Christ.

“We mainly try to target people who have never heard of God,” Buonassissi says of why they chose to have church in a setting like McGuire’s.

Getting established almost three years ago in Destin, Shoreline’s services at the Rave movie theater in Destin Commons have tried to attract the nontraditional demographic in the community.

Partin, lead pastor of Shoreline, explains that they try to appeal to the “99 Rock” crowd. By this, they mean younger men who are not turned on by religion and conformity, but have the capacity to be open-minded leaders.

Shoreline’s “church for the real world” concept noticeably stands apart with a motive.

“The people who were attracted to Jesus were the ones who were nothing like him,” Partin says.

This is why he and associate pastor, Sam Blowes, have modeled their outreach to be in baffling locations to reach people that do not seek the conventional “born again” lifestyle.

Having a church service at McGuire’s spawned from these ideals and the need for an environment that would allow people to check out religion from a safe distance.

McGuire’s agreed to Shoreline’s proposal to hold a weekly service, as it draws a crowd on what is usually a slow night. Both parties benefit.

“We are trying to shatter the images that people have of church,” Partin says. “They can come and expect to not feel pressured and judged.”

Shoreline started the service last month and plans to continue this ministry through the fall

WANT TO GO?
On Tuesday night at 7 p.m., Shoreline Church will offer a look at keeping balance in work and home life at McGuire’s upstairs deck.