For many people, their primary mode of “church” happens through a service that most likely takes place on Sunday in a designated building. This service is typically led by people who have spent time during the week preparing to serve or lead the people who may attend. Some people come to this type of service out of routine, yet others come with a genuine desire to experience God. People may choose to attend and remain “invisible” while there, but other people may see it as an opportunity to connect with others for encouragement.
Regardless of the approach, thought-process, and rationale behind why someone attends a church service, I want to ask you this question… What if the church didn’t meet on Sunday?
Furthermore, think about these questions for a moment… What if we decided to not do the normal Sunday routine of gathering in a building, singing songs, hearing the Bible taught, praying, drinking coffee, etc?… Would you know what else you could do? Would we have any alternative options?
You may be thinking… Why would a church not meet as normal on Sunday? Why would you change something that seems like a normal part of life for some people? Why are you even asking these questions?
Those are great questions to my questions, so here’s my thought… We all become so accustomed to certain routines and preferences that we can actually lose sight of what matters most and why we do what we do. To avoid living with this unintentional, numbed outlook, I’m learning to live by this motto… A change of pace and a change of place gives a change of perspective.
I believe that sometimes the church (generally speaking) becomes so used to gathering on Sundays in the same way each week that we can easily lose sight of the other things we have been called to do. Therefore, a change of pace and a change of place can give us a change of perspective as the church.
With this being said, The Grove Church is changing up our pace and place of gathering on Sunday, April 29th. We’re praying God will give us a refreshed perspective for how we can be a blessing and connect with people in our community. We’re calling it For The City Sunday because we want to be a church that’s intentionally for the city for His glory.
At the same time, we want to be a church that’s regularly seeking ways to love our community and city, so we know this can’t simply be a one-time event. Otherwise, we are missing the bigger picture. We are asking God to prepare our hearts to be further inclined toward His mission and Kingdom advancement in everything we do as a church.
You can find out all the details about For The City Sunday by clicking HERE.
Additionally, since the end of February, we have launched three Missional Communities (MCs) where dozens of people are learning how to do life together and on mission for Jesus outside of the normal Sunday gathering. We realize the church must extend way beyond the Sunday gathering, so MCs are our intentional steps to help people experience the heart of the church outside the walls of the building.
You can find out more information about our Missional Communities by clicking HERE.
Back to the opening question, “What if the church didn’t meet on Sunday?…” Could you find ways to express your faith and still experience God alongside other people? The goal isn’t to stop meeting as normal on Sundays. Instead, let’s think beyond our normal expressions of church and ask God to show us how we can BE THE CHURCH as we live, work, and play!
