Just Sixteen in Worship Last Saturday
Every new church start has those Sundays (or Saturdays in our case) where, for a variety of reasons (bad weather, sickness, other obligations), people you normally expect to see in worship just can’t make it. Last Saturday evening was one of those times for our new church when, for whatever reason, we had a total of 16 in attendance. It made for a pretty sparse crowd but you know what? Everybody who was there told me afterwards that it was still a great worship service – meaningful and worshipful. We celebrated communion and there was a real sense of being together as a family.
This was not a new experience for me. In my previous church plant some dozen years ago there were Sundays when we were reminded of Jesus’ words, “Where two or more are gathered in my name, there will I be also.” Back in 1997 that new church plant averaged just 37 in worship for the whole year. So, if you’re wondering, I’m not discouraged. I don’t take it personally. I preach my sermons with the same passion if there are 16 or 60 or 600. The praise band plays and sings with just as much joy and excitement (and we have a great praise band, don’t we?)
My only concern is for our first-time visitors. We’ve just spent quite a bit of money on our first direct mail advertising campaign. Over the next few weeks we are mailing out 3 different postcards to 5,000 homes in our community inviting families to join us in worship and to become part of our new church. It’s important that we put our best foot forward to make the best possible first impression. I can’t help but think that those families visiting Spirit Song for the first time will feel so much more comfortable and be far more excited about our new church if they experience a warm welcome and see chairs filled with people ready to worship together. There’s just a different feeling in worship when there are many voices raised together in song and we are surrounded by others who share our faith in God.
This month of October is our “launch” season which will culminate on Saturday, October 25th. I encourage you to make every effort to be with us in worship during the next few weeks. We’re starting this new church with relatively few people so when even a few families are missing it is obvious. We need to work together and BE together every week if we are to be successful. Let’s be there for each other and for all those who will be coming to worship with us for the first-time. And may God bless our efforts and our ministry as we give God the glory.
Blessings,
Steve