“Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise Him.” Psalm 147:1
How pleasant and fitting, indeed, when we come together in praise and worship! About eight years ago, a handful of folks at Calvary UMC had a dream of starting a new worship service. They wanted to try something different and untested. We started with an occasional service on Wednesday nights. Then, we decided that the new service should be offered on Sunday mornings. So, Anderson Chapel became the home of the Praise and Worship Service at 8:30 a.m. every week. There were some growing pains, yet, quietly and steadily, it became a main staple of the Sunday morning worship offerings at Calvary. When the Praise and Worship Service began to average about 75 people at 8:30, we added another service at 10:30 in the Chapel. We quickly found that this later service was better attended. Also, the Praise Team needed to focus all its energy and effort into one service, rather than two. So, the Sunday after Easter 2006, we combined the early services (Sanctuary and Chapel) and kept the Praise and Worship Service at 10:30 only. In just one year, our numbers have jumped significantly. Eighty is now considered a tad low…we averaged 104 in the first six weeks this year. Several times the attendance went well over 100, making seating almost a fire hazard in the Anderson Chapel!
Before the New Year, the worship committee recommended that a new space be considered for the Praise and Worship Service. It was felt that we had to act quickly or risk losing newcomers who might not be comfortable in such tight conditions. Several folks from various groups gathered to discuss the issue (leadership from YCS, sports council, WNL, trustees, finance, staff, etc). We went over several options: move to the Sanctuary (would involve worship time changes), build a new Praise and Worship center (not possible quickly enough to deal with present issues), or use existing areas where space is available. After the alternatives were laid out, we realized that to do nothing was not a very good option. I am proud to say that the Calvary UMC leadership understood that this was an opportunity to grow one of the only (maybe the only) contemporary worship services in the Green Hills area. And they didn’t blink. They decided to act.
It was determined that the Christian Life Center was the best “short term” solution to the Praise and Worship needs. This move will require cooperation from many groups and extra custodial help for set-up and take down. More advanced planning will be needed for basketball season, Room in the Inn, and for children/youth/special events requiring the use of the Christian Life Center. This change also means we will be having two worship services in close proximity. We have already tested for that. With the fire doors to Masters Common closed and with the Sanctuary doors also closed, there is very little noise carry-over from one space to the other. We are fortunate to have such thick walls and doors! Another issue is parking. We are asking able bodied people to park in the spots further out, so those who need to can park closer to the sanctuary and Christian Life Center doors. We hope that some folks will come in the building through the Fellowship Hall doors and take the elevator, if desired, to the third floor.
We are preparing as much ahead of time as possible for this move, and we expect it will cause some temporary discomfort. Yet we are also preparing and expecting for God to move among us in new ways. Being in close proximity can have is advantages, too—we are more likely to see one another and fellowship together at the coffee table. We might see the blessings and joys of how a church can worship together in different settings, celebrating different styles and knowing that God speaks to people in various ways. We also provide a “breather” for Anderson Chapel to be used in other ways—for the Romanians to have their worship time earlier and for needed repairs to take place. After much planning and praying, we are embarking on a new leg of the Praise and Worship journey. On Sunday, April 1 (no, it’s not a joke), we will have our first Praise and Worship service in the CLC.
I hope you will join us in celebrating this next step in the worship life of Calvary UMC. And if you know someone who might be interested in a Praise and Worship Service, invite them to Calvary!
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” Psalm 149:6
Blessings,
Susan Spieth, Associate Pastor
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