Though you have not seen him, you love him. 

Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8 ESV)

Omar

Omar

Jerry

Jerry

This year we're challenging our members and regular attenders to attend a church service every week in 2014. You can read more about the 52 SUNDAYS challenge here. This article is part of a series of articles about 52 SUNDAYS.

What if I work on Sundays?

We live in a 24/7 world and this means people work on Sundays (at least until the robots take over). How does a Christian navigate the workplace when it conflicts with their place of worship?

Before I answer the question, we need to agree on two principles:

1. Public worship is good.
2. Public worship is necessary.

If we don't agree on these (at minimum), the rest of what I'm about to say won't make sense. We can't start the discussion with the "work question."

Work isn't the problem.

The short answer is to either find a job that allows you to worship with your church OR find a church that worships when you don't work.

You need work AND worship.*

This doesn't mean that from time to time or for a season you won't find your work schedule conflicting with your worship. It happens. You get a new job. There's a crisis. You're on call. When this occurs I'd recommend you stay in contact with your fellow church members, look for alternative days of rest and worship (even visit a like-minded church with a different service time), invite accountability, and be sure to care for anyone else counting on you (ex. your spouse, children, friends, small group, ministry teammates). 

Worry about what you're missing, not what others think.

So then, what if you work regularly on Sundays? I'd encourage you not to settle for it. Think big. Believe God wants you to attend church and start asking for wisdom and counsel. Perhaps you need to change jobs? Perhaps your employer will give you Sundays off even if he already said no? God can do this.

Perhaps you need to take a pay cut and work less? Downsize or take a demotion? Or just say no? I've seen individuals do all of these and more. And I don't remember any of them regretting it.

The other option is to look for a different church.

Yeah...yikes.

Please don't take this as license to hop from church to church indefinitely, allowing the person who makes your work schedule pick your "church of the week". That'd be sad.

Your new church should match your new "Sunday." If Saturdays are when you worship, then find a church full of people who worship and fellowship together on Saturdays. Or Mondays. Or whenever.

My recommendation.

Start by trying to change your work situation. Save the more radical measures for later. Pray for wisdom and courage. Repent where necessary (maybe you've been working on Sundays for the wrong reasons). And come to grips with the reality that everyone struggles to rest AND worship. This is part of the curse (Genesis 3).

Work is hard because our work is cursed. 

"For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God." (Romans 8:20-21 ESV)

P.S. To all my friends who work on Sundays...big hugs. I love you like crazy and am fully committed to your best. I know many of you feel like you have no choice. Your stuck and it sucks and I agree. Please read this article as my heart for God to release you from the frustration of your work. No judgement here...only compassion, patience, bearing your burden, and longing for us to sing together every Sunday until heaven. Hit me up and tell me how to pray for you.

*I use the term "worship" here as short hand for public worship, the kind we do in community. I know we also worship privately and that even our "work" is worship.

1.  Starting Point - A course for newcomers and those who would like to explore church membership. Beginning March 1st, we will meet for 5 weeks during the Sunday School hour.  Get on-line to register and download the curriculum. The format is similar to our small groups, with discussion and dialogue rather than a lecture.

2.  Money Management Course -  Our Money Management Course is starting next month and the deadline to register is NEXT SUNDAY, JANUARY 19th.  Once a year we offer a course on the Biblical principles of financial stewardship. The classes are conducted in a small group setting, using a discussion format and curriculum adapted from Crown Ministries.  Meeting together for 8 classes, every other Monday night, beginning February 3.

Listen again as Pastor Eric is back in Revelation!

This year we're challenging our members and regular attenders to attend a church service every week in 2014. You can read more about the 52 SUNDAYS challenge here. This article is part of a series of articles about 52 SUNDAYS.

Do we need Sundays?

As with the last question "Why Sundays?", this one yields a helpful perspective if you look at the issue from another angle.

Could we survive on 2 Saturdays?

Imagine our weekends consisted of two Saturdays rather than a Saturday and a Sunday. Two days away from the work and routines of our weekdays, but with no particular time devoted to worship and rest.

And don't get hung up on the days of the week...I know some of you work on Saturdays. Just substitute your day for "Saturdays."

What would be so bad about 2 Saturdays?

Isn't that what the rest of the world does anyways? FYI...they don't. At least not most of them. Not historically and not now. Check your inbox. Who emailed you on their "day off"?

But anyways. What would be so bad about double Saturdays? Saturdays are awesome!

Here's a short list of reasons why we need Sundays:

• Sundays promote spiritual growth. The Reformers called this the ordinary means of grace.
• Sundays please God. What if you could do something every week that God enjoyed?
• Sundays promote relationships. Skipping church accomplishes the opposite.
• Sundays promote our witness. The world sees us when we gather publicly.
• Sundays promote member-to-member ministry. (Colossians 3:12-16)
• Sundays are a safeguard for those struggling with faith. (Hebrews 10:25)
• Sundays remind us that God rested and that we will one day fully, truly, rest too. (Hebrews 4ff.)

Look at that list. It's not even a complete list. Be honest with yourself. The answer is no. You can't survive on 2 Saturdays a week. 

You weren't made to live this way. You might be able to do it for a season and not see any negative effects. You might even be able to live most or all of you life this way and not notice. But you'd be missing out. Trust God's Word.

You don't know what you don't know.

The practice of Sundays (a day of worship and rest) is better than two days of household chores, recreation, and sleeping in. And the proof is in heaven.

This year we're challenging our members and regular attenders to attend a church service every week in 2014. You can read more about the 52 SUNDAYS challenge here. *This is the first of a series of articles about 52 SUNDAYS.

Why Sundays?

You know...if we were talking about anything else other than going to church on Sundays, I'd probably start by flipping the question around.

Why not every day?

Why not gather together every day for worship? Isn't the Father seeking people who worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:4) and Jesus said  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind..." (Luke 10:27).

Wouldn't it be great if church life looked like the first churches looked like? 

"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved." (Acts 2:42-47 ESV, emphasis added)

I could argue that the church has always worshipped together weekly, that they did it on Sundays, and warned people not to be absent (Acts 20:7, Hebrews 10:25). That's all in your Bibles.

And I could argue that we should think deeply about the sabbath pattern of 6 days of work, 1 day of rest. It is one the 10 big rules, no? (Exodus 20)

Let’s start with gratefulness.

You are part of a church that gathers one time, every week, 52 Sundays a year. We sing great songs, hear the Scriptures proclaimed, celebrate testimonies, recite creeds, enjoy fellowship, pray for the brokenhearted, evangelize the lost, serve one another, use our gifts, break bread, baptize new christians, the list is too long. What’s not to love about Sundays?

One day EVERY DAY will be Sunday.

Happy New Year!

'Tis the season to make resolutions and I've got one for you. But don't worry...I won't be keeping score (it's not really about you anyways). A little friendly competition on the honor system.

Attend church every week in 2014.

I plan on writing a series of posts over the next month or so, explaining why I think public worship is so important and why you guys make Sundays great. For now, just the rules.

1. Open to all members and regular attenders.
2. You must be 15 years or older as of January 1, 2014.
3. Attend at least one public worship service per week.
4. You get 3 sick days. Use them wisely.
5. If you can't be with your home church (travel, snow, etc.), attend a service elsewhere.
6. Attend all 52 weeks and you win accolades and prizes on January 4, 2015.

I know not everyone will be able to take up this challenge, and that's ok. Don't feel left out. Cheer on those who can. The goal isn't to create two groups (those with perfect attendance and those without). Not at all.

The goal is to encourage everyone to love Sundays.

See you Sunday, Pastor Eric

This Sunday after the service our Worship Team will be holding auditions.

Our first auditions ever!

Each participant has been preparing a set of songs to perform and has volunteered to be assessed for skill and fitness. And for sure there will be lots of encouragement and joy as they make music together. But nonetheless, it takes courage and humility to be evaluated.

Your musically-challenged friends thank you.

Thanks for being willing to serve. Thanks for being willing to be assessed. Thanks for being willing to do something different if the worship team doesn't need you right now. Thanks for loving Jesus more than everything else. And loving us more than yourselves.

As 2013 closes, we thank God for the church members who preached sermons this past year (a total of 7, including our pastors). They studied, wrote, rewrote, practiced, and then put it all on the line for their fellow churchmen...for God's glory and for our joy.

Why so many preachers?

1. Because we have men who can and this is a gift to steward.
2. Because we build with God's Word, and not a particular personality.
3. Because we believe everyone should be ready to proclaim the gospel.
4. Because you can't grow as a preacher without preaching.
5. Because new preachers need churches ready to listen to them.
6. Because you can't plant new churches without new preachers.