Gathering Together
Despite last night’s storms, or maybe in part because of them, I’m looking out my window right now to a beautiful scene of budding green leaves set to a baby-blue sky, augmented by the chorus of chirping birds. It’s this kind of beauty – sight and sound – that we experience in worship (especially on Easter), and many experienced in Lancaster last week too. Sure, we can see and hear it alone (I’m alone in my office right now) – but it’s even better together, with others.
On Monday night, the Session, after much deliberation, decided to sync up our Summer Worship schedule with our Sonshine Station Children’s ministry, meaning we will gather for One singular summer worship service, at 10am from May 25 (Memorial Day Weekend) through August 31 (Labor Day Weekend). During these services we will have a Children’s Church program, which we’re inviting people to sign up to volunteer for as well.
One big question in all of this was whether, with the continued rise in worship attendance (we’re up 7% over last year through this time, the 3rd year in a row of growth!), it still makes sense to gather for just a single service in the summer. You can look at last year – where summer attendance was basically the same as the rest of the year – and use that as evidence either way. “Attendance didn’t drop in the summer, we should stay with two services!” And “Moving to one service in the summer didn’t negatively impact worship attendance, and wasn’t it wonderful to all be together!”
The Session deliberated and discussed and attempted to discern where God was leading. They decided we would gather together for a single service, but they also recognized that there’s room to feedback from the wider congregation. So they’re preparing to reach out and solicit that feedback about our worship in the coming months, looking for more ways that we can fulfill our mission, we can enhance our gathered time in worship, and we can grow. Keep your eyes peeled for that down the road.
Whether we gather for two services at 8:30a and 11a or together at 10am for one service in the summer, (or at some other time), is honestly kind of secondary in my mind. When you make the choice on Sunday morning to come to 112 West Pike Street, seeking to encounter God, to be encouraged, to encourage others, to grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ…whatever time it’s at is way down on the list of what matters. It’s the gathering that counts.
I also think it’s the wrestling that counts too. This group of Elders, this Session, is wrestling with how best to follow God and meet the mission. It’s not about personal preferences. And they even recognize that a decision like worship times could end up being wrong. They’re humble enough not to have huge egos – it’s a beautiful thing to witness! But they’re putting in the work, seeking God and trying their best to be open to God’s leading – both in their own personal lives and in this church.
I don’t know all that God’s got in store for us at Canonsburg UP Church. I do know that we’ll be gathering together at 10a for a single summer service, and I’m expecting, based on “early returns” this year, that we’ll have a fairly full house most Sundays. That’s exciting. Whatever God has in store for us, this summer and beyond, I’m going to trust, we’ll continue forward into something incredibly beautiful!
Welcoming You to Grow in Jesus,
Pastor Don