Pastor’s Corner “One Service Sunday”
On Sunday, October 18th, we will gather at 9:30am for a “One Service Sunday,” immediately followed by a Parish Meeting and a Church Picnic on the Lawn. Children’s Church and the Nursery will be offered as usual during the service, and childcare for nursery through elementary aged children is available during the Parish Meeting. (Please sign up here for childcare.)
We gather for One Service Sundays several times a year to remember and live the reality that we are one congregation with two services. On this particular Sunday, if there is a person you don’t recognize, introduce yourself! Avoid jokes about the differences between the services or not having seen the person and instead enjoy the opportunity to connect (or re-connect!) with a member of the Immanuel family.
Another reason we have One Service Sundays is to give the entire congregation the opportunity to experience different expressions of worship. Our ninety-minute 10:30am service is more celebratory – the energy level is higher, more people are present, and music plays a significant role in moving our hearts to worship. The sixty-minute 8am service is more contemplative – the pace is slow and quiet, fewer people attend (although the number is growing!), and the liturgy alone moves us into worship. On Sunday October 18th at 9:30am, we will worship together in this more contemplative manner.
The autumn Parish Meeting and Picnic is our new way of entering into our annual stewardship campaign. We will communicate Immanuel’s overarching vision along with the specific vision for 2027. We will also present a proposed budget for 2027 that articulates the provision needed to bring both to fruition. Since the Lord is the one who gives vision – you could say he is Pro-Vision – we have confidence he also provides for that vision. And his primary means of provision is through his people. We will therefore invite you to begin praying about your pledges for the 2027 budget, an important way of joining our Father in being Pro-Vision. Additionally, our newly formed Stewardship Working Group will introduce a timeline that demonstrates God’s past provision and our hope for his future provision. They will close by leading us in a time of gratitude and prayer, after which we will head outside to eat together.
I strongly encourage everyone to be present for this unifying time of worship.
Your Pastor in Christ,
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