Do you want to come to church? Do you want fellowship with other believers, or just to explore faith in God? Chances are if you aren’t free on Wednesday evening or Sunday morning you’ve found that difficult.
Lately in my church’s life I’ve been thinking on how to reach those people who are simply unavailable on these two days. Time was in our society that Sunday was sacred – everything closed, because even the non-believers knew we all needed rest. But time passed to where we didn’t value people’s lives in society, and we decided that weekends off and a living wage were luxuries to be aimed for, but not achieved in the first job you get. How far we’ve gone astray in caring for our bodies and minds is not the focus of this article, however.
Here at our church we are trying to examine the way things are done, and to change them to fit real needs. I have often wondered if there are any out there who would be interested in a Friday or Saturday night service – or really any night that a majority of people would be free. Would prayer time in the mornings, during the days or at a gathering in a restaurant be something people would enjoy? The great thing about ministry is creativity – you don’t have to do it the same as everyone else. I have an email address here at the bottom of this article. If you want to attend or be included in a church family but have unusual time restrictions, let me know. Are you a waitress or waiter? Do you often have to serve the church crowd, but never be a part of them? I want to hear from you.
We are currently working on an organized effort of visitation for those members of the church who are home bound, or who do not get out as they once did. This is our struggle: to live up the life that Christ has for us. If you want to come and experience that life with us, we invite you to attend church here. We aren’t perfect, and we’d love to have more imperfect people to grow alongside. But the church is not a church without people, and that’s why we need you. We need workers and followers, attenders and lay leaders. We need you! We want to make certain we’re not just working on our time table. If you need different times to meet, or you want to get your kids together during the week, please tell us how we could best minister to you. Suggestions do not make a contract that you have to attend, it’s just you telling us what you need.
God loves you, and designed you specifically for a purpose. If you want to discover it, you’re going to have to go out and get it. It won’t just fall in your lap, this life is meant to be seized! God didn’t make you for sitting around being bored. If you are falling asleep – in church, in life, at work and on the couch, it’s time to wake up. Life is a precious gift given to us, and we can only truly realize what it means to be alive through understanding what the creator made us for. It’s not about just talking – it’s about living. I welcome your thoughts by email or letters.
VBS ANNOUNCEMENT! Been to everyone’s VBS by now? Kids crawling the walls? Eager to send them for some growth in the Lord while experiencing the exhilaration of uninterrupted sleep or shopping? Send your munchkins to this years VBS at Okmulgee First Church of the Nazarene! July 19th-23rd (Tuesday through Saturday), so mark your calendars now. The kids will learn and have fun all week long, then meet on Sunday morning for a presentation and performance for the parents. They need fun, you need a break. Let’s minister to the whole family, what do you say?
- J. Cole Weston is Lead Pastor at Okmulgee First Church of the Nazarene at 711 N. Okmulgee. You can contact him via email at okmulgeenazarene@gmail.com or 918-213-0359. Services are held Sunday at 10:30, with Sunday School at 9:30.
