New Gathering Begins 9/7 @ 7!

First, the good news.
God has brought to us many new people in the last year. If City on a Hill were personified, we would be the woman in her last weeks of pregnancy ready to deliver at any time. Since we have little room left to expand, our most healthy option is to give birth. So beginning on Sunday, September 7th at 7 PM we are going to launch a second weekly worship gathering. We are going to give birth.

Now, the bad news
Not really bad news, but sobering news. Just like the joy of a new baby must be preceded by labor and pain, so are the life-giving efforts of a church. Here are two challenges we will face. First, we won’t all see each other each and every Sunday. Most will continue to gather at 11 AM (seriously, most of you come between 11:07 and 11:15) each week. Some will move to Sunday evenings beginning in September to form the nucleus of this new church within a church. This means we will have to make Wednesday evenings more relational to bring the core of both groups together. Second, we need to double the number of our volunteers: nursery workers, sound and visual technicians, worship leaders and greeters. The only way this will happen is if some who are presently not serving in any capacity pick up the slack.

How you can help
First, pray. Pray for our numbers to swell again with the ranks of people coming to know Jesus. We aren’t motivated by convenience. We are motivated by conversions. Second, pray. Pray as Jesus did for “laborers” to work the fertile fields (Luke 10:1-2). Third, act (you thought I was going to say pray). You can help in one of three ways: (1) become a core team member in the new gathering; (2) become a launch team member in the new gathering; or, (3) serve in a support role during Sunday morning to free others to do (1) or (2).

What is the difference?
Here is the difference between a core member and a launch team member. A core member will be permanent. He or she will commit to coming each Sunday night for worship. He or she will live as a missionary to his or her culture and bring people to Sunday evenings. A launch team member will come on Sunday evenings for a season solely to serve the infrastructure of the new effort. A launch team person will still worship during the Sunday morning gathering.

Next Steps
You will have an opportunity to pray with others and declare your intentions in the next few weeks. We will be praying for you and praising God who is growing us deeper and broader together in Jesus.