A few weeks ago I visited a church with two worship services. Their first service runs about 250 people and packs out their sanctuary. The second service had 8 people attending. After the second service the pastor explained their people really enjoy being together even if it means the sanctuary is crowded. The second service is primarily for a family with a member battling cancer. She is unable to be around large crowds due to extremely low resistance to illness as a result of the treatments she receives. The church has voted to build a new sanctuary that will double their seating, but they plan to continue to offer the second service for this family and any one else who might want to attend. They are going the extra mile to ensure this family can attend church and participate in the life of the church.
During my devotions this morning I read about a pastor who was surprised when a faithful member who was responsible for bringing many people to their church and to faith in Jesus Christ told him that a group she was working with would not attend church services. She explained that she was working with a support group for women with eating disorders, and none of them felt comfortable being in larger crowds. She was asking the pastor how they could take the church to these women.
We make a big deal of inviting people to "church," but is that really what the Great Commission calls us to do? Yes, I think we should be inviting people to worship services, and I remain convinced that there is value in regular times of worship with fellow believers, but what do we do with the many people who, for one reason or another, will not or cannot attend those services?
A number of years ago I had been working with a single mother who wanted to make changes in her life. She had continually resisted coming to church despite my regular invitations. She finally reminded me that she worked in a local restaurant and her regular shift was Sunday morning. Ouch! How many people can't come to our churches because they have to be ready to feed us when the service is over??? In this person's case, I started a Sunday evening Sunday school class for her age group, enlisted a couple of our regular female members to attend the class, and she became a regular member of the class. A few months later she gave her life to Christ and was baptized.
In addition to those who work on Sundays, there are people who physically or emotionally are unable to come to regular worship services. How can your church take the church to them? How can your church be the church to them? To be faithful to the Great Commission we have to be a going agency, not just one that invites people to come to us. As you think about your fall ministry programs, is there a people group in your community that you need to take the church to?
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