Photo courtesy of Tim ReedyI just came in from the worship service outside under the tent. Recognizing that I was able to sit where I wanted, able to find a seat that would be in the shade throughout the service, able to locate myself on the edge of the tent to catch the breeze as it blew across the soccer field... acknowledging that I didn't have to preach for 30+ minutes or lead in singing... taking into account that it was the first service which started at 9 before the intensity of the day's sun had started to take hold... it was actually very delightful to be outside this morning. And it got me thinking that there are a lot of advantages to holding worship outdoors:
1. Anyone who has a complaint about the temperature, need not bother voicing such complaint on their Connections Card, for man has nothing to do nor any control over the day's temp.
2. Anyone who has a complaint about the lighting, too dark, dim, bright or otherwise, need to not take the time to voice their concern for it's beyond our control.
3. The electric bill of a church with regular outdoor services would be much lower than an indoor facility.
4. The cost of a tent as compared to the cost of bricks and mortar is much less of an expenditure.
5. It's almost impossible to run out of room in an exterior environment, so space is less of an issue.
6. Those neighbors who've never been in our facility to see what it is we all show up for every Sunday, got a firsthand taste of what it's like. In many ways, you could classify today as an informal, non-threatening evangelistic tool.
1. Anyone who has a complaint about the temperature, need not bother voicing such complaint on their Connections Card, for man has nothing to do nor any control over the day's temp.
2. Anyone who has a complaint about the lighting, too dark, dim, bright or otherwise, need to not take the time to voice their concern for it's beyond our control.
3. The electric bill of a church with regular outdoor services would be much lower than an indoor facility.
4. The cost of a tent as compared to the cost of bricks and mortar is much less of an expenditure.
5. It's almost impossible to run out of room in an exterior environment, so space is less of an issue.
6. Those neighbors who've never been in our facility to see what it is we all show up for every Sunday, got a firsthand taste of what it's like. In many ways, you could classify today as an informal, non-threatening evangelistic tool.
Of any church I know, I think Grace would be crazy enough to attempt a year-round outdoor service. Dress cooly in summer, dress warmly in winter. Think of the amount of resources that could be diverted toward other aspects of our ministry. Seasonly, we would embody Scripture as the Hot & Heaven Bound during the summers and the Frozen Chosen during the winters. Being in the controlled environment of a building affords many comforts, but this morning exposed some of the things we give up for those comforts.
