A new schedule
The daily schedule at our house changed this week. No more going to bed late for me (late for me is 9:30), no more sleeping in late for me either (for me 6:30). Nope, we are on a new fall schedule in our house. My wife Amy was back at work as teachers in Caroline headed back to school this week preparing for students to arrive on Monday. That meant I had to get up earlier, 5:15 or so, and I’ve been trying to get to bed earlier, 8:30/9:00 if I can. I love the summer time and the change in routine it brings not only around our home, but also at church. I love the summer mission trips and Vacation Bible School. But I also love as we gear up for fall in the church and I get excited about the new opportunity a new school year brings. Molly, Shawn and I spent a good part of today putting together our fall worship series plan and talking about some changes that are coming as the school year starts and the fall season returns.
One of the biggest changes that is coming is that we are going to start another Sunday worship service. We will preview the new service on September 17th and September 24th with the hope of getting out any of the kinks.
We will then be hanging banners, putting out yard signs, sending out postcards, boosting Facebook posts and inviting neighbors, friends and our community to come on October 1st as we launch this new service. The service will be held Sunday evenings from 5:30-6:30. The service will be casual in atmosphere and in dress. The music will be similar to that at our 9:45 contemporary service (maybe a few less instruments) and the sermon will be the same as the one preached Sunday morning.
Some may ask why are we adding another worship service. The answer to that question has to do with our mission. At Wright’s Chapel our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ who will transform the world. One of the most important things that disciples of Jesus do is to gather in worship and praise God together. We are hopeful that by adding a new service and inviting our community to come we will reach any number of new people who do not currently have a relationship with Jesus Christ and with this service we will help to initiate that relationship. We are also hopeful that by having worship at this alternative time on Sunday that those who could not come to worship on Sunday morning for any number of reasons will find their way to this Sunday evening worship.
A team of folks has been thinking about this and looking at this possibility since our consultation with the Church of the Resurrection in the fall of 2016. We are asking for some of our regular Sunday morning worshippers to plan to come to the new service as we get it started. We are asking for some of you to consider switching services, or for a while, to come to both a morning service and the evening service as we get this new service off the ground. We are hoping to have about 50 people in attendance to start the service and to then help it grow from there as we seek to make disciples of Jesus Christ who will transform the world.
My schedule at home has already changed and I’m adjusting. I’m excited about the church schedule changing this fall and the opportunity before us to touch lives with the love and message of Jesus Christ.
