I know that the emails have been coming frequently and often over the last few days and I know that the ways in which you have been encouraged to help are many. This can lead a person to feel overwhelmed and possibly even paralyzed, because they don’t know how to respond.
With that in mind, I’d like to just offer a few quick suggestions as well as an invitation.
First, as you this notice by The Wesleyan Church states, all churches have been asked to hold a day of prayer and fasting. I’d like to ask you to join with me and the members of the Mt. Union Wesleyan Church in fasting and praying for the country of Haiti, its people, and those who are providing aid and assistance on Monday, January 18th. The concept is simple- if you do not have any medical conditions that would keep you from fasting, take Monday off from eating and instead spend the time that you would otherwise spend eating in prayer. If you cannot skip every meal, skip one or two.
Second, on Monday evening, January 18th, I would like to invite you, your friends, and your family for a prayer vigil which will be held here at the Mt. Union Wesleyan Church. The vigil will start at 6pm and will include a time of singing followed by a focused time of prayer for the people of Haiti, for the missionaries and relief workers who are administering assistance, and for the government as they try to determine what to do in the days that are to come.
Third, on Sunday morning and at the prayer service we will be taking up a special offering. The offering will go in its entirety to the relief work in Haiti. As the board of general superintendents has requested, we are encouraging each person to prayerfully consider giving what would amount to one day’s wages in addition to one’s regular tithes and offerings. God has graciously blessed us, may we now be a blessing to those who are truly in need of blessing and encouragement!
Fourth, you and your family can put together a “health kit” which we will collect and will subsequently pass along to UMCOR for distribution in Haiti. Each kit is to consist of:
1 hand towel (15” x 25” up to 17” x 27”)
1 wash cloth
1 comb (large and sturdy, not pocket-sized)
1 nail file or fingernail clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers)
1 bath-size bar of soap (3 oz and up)
1 toothbrush (single brush only in original wrapper; no child-sized brushes)
1 large tube of toothpaste (4.5 or larger, expiration date must be 6 months or longer in advance of the date of shipment)
6 adhesive plastic strip sterile bandagesThese items or a completed kit can be brought to church in the days and weeks ahead.
I’m sitting here, on my front porch, waiting to see if anyone comes to church this evening.
We started out so well. We began, on March 7th, with 30+ people in attendance, which is just less than 3/8 of our Sunday morning attendance.
The service was started for a few different reasons. First, we saw it as an opportunity to meet the needs of those, from our congregation, who are unable to make it to church every Sunday due to work. Second, we understood the service to be an opportunity for us to help out some of the single parents of our community, who had said that they would like to make it to church, but find it too difficult to get their kids up and dressed yet another morning each week. Third, we polled our community and learned that Saturday evenings, between 6 and 7 would be the ideal time to attend church.
For two weeks now, we’ve had no one show up. Those who wanted a Saturday evening service haven’t shown up. Those who said that Saturday evenings would be ideal haven’t stopped by.
I was asked by one person whether I considered our Saturday evening venture a success or a failure.
That’s a great question.
It’s a great question because how one answers it determines, to a certain degree, how success and failure will be defined for future ventures.
If BUCKS in the offering plate is the criteria- we’ve failed.
If BUTTS in the pews is the criteria- our results have been mixed. Initially we experienced success and recently we’ve experienced failure.
If stepping into the unknown is the measur of success- then, we have succeeded.
If getting out of our comfort zone is the measure is success-there has definitely been some ground gained.
If worshipping God and enjoying time in His presence with others is a measure of success- then we’ve definitely succeeded.
Where do we to from here? What are our next steps?
It seems that we are going to discontinue our Saturday gatherings during the summer, with a tentative plan to resume in the fall.
Moreover, we plan to continue to try new things. Some of the new ventures will become a part of who we are as a church, others will be abandoned.
But, in the end, it doesn’t really matter. Programs and services, activities and meetings, these are not the things for which the church exists. Nor are they the things to which the vision and mission of the church are captive. Rather, these things are subject to constant evaluation, revision, and change in light of the vision and mission of the church.
Watershed, the Saturday evening worship gathering of the Mt. Union Wesleyan Church, has been a time of refreshment and renewal for me, over the course of the last few months. The music has been refreshing. Worshiping and preaching on Saturday evening has both afforded me the opportunity to rehearse and revise my message for Sunday mornings, as well as helped me to be more mentally prepared for worship on Sundays.
However, what began (on March 7th), with a steady and consistent group of 25-30 people, has since dwindled to a handful. Admittedly, there are plethora of reasons for this. Area colleges dismissed for the summer, meaning that some of our steady core group have returned home for summer vacation. Summer baseball leagues are now in full-swing. Many people, therefore, have found their Saturday afternoons and evenings to be rather full- so, rather than attending on Saturday evening, Sunday mornings have become the most ideal time for worship. These are just a few of the many reasons.
Regardless, last night, as a leadership team, we decided to press the “pause button” in regards to Watershed. We are going to discontinue meeting together, during the summer months of 2009, with plans to tentatively resume our Saturday evening worship gatherings in the Fall of 2009. We have determined to do this for a couple of reasons:
1) We hope that by doing so we will not lose the momentum that we have gained;
2) Our desire is to reevaluate what we are doing, with the hope that when we resume things will be even better;
3) We feel as if this hiatus will allow us to spend some time in prayer, which might result in us taking things in a new direction;
4) Our goal of creating a space where members of our community can come and worship has not been achieved- we have primarily attracted already “churched” individuals.
So, if you are reading this, I would encourage you to keep us in prayer. As we pray, reevaluate, and re-envision things we desperately desire for God’s Spirit to blow wherever it pleases. Whatever we do, and whatever is decided, our prayer is for God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will to be accomplished in His church and in this community.
It’s Saturday afternoon. We’re just hours away from the fourth of our new Saturday evening worship gatherings.
It has only been three weeks and we have yet to experience a committed, cohesive group but there are still a number of reasons why I am loving our Saturday evening, Watershed, worship gatherings and why you should as well.
1. We are seeing new people come to our church on a weekly basis. Some have returned. Some have not. But regardless, it is always great to make new friends.
2. Saturday evenings tend to be more relaxed. It feels good just to let your hair down and come before God as you are.
3. Saturdays really set the stage for Sunday. Not only do I have the opportunity to refine my message between saturday evening and Sunday morning, but I also have the opportunity to be better prepared and more focused for our worship on Sunday mornings.
4. Q&A adds an entirely new aspect to things. I love knowing that on Saturday evenings I will be able to hear what people are thinking, what they heard as I spoke, as well as the questions that still remain.
Tonight, at 6:30, I will be at Watershed- where will you be?
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