When you analyze what is most important in the life of a church community – any church community – the answer must be worship. We are called to the act of worship because our God is amazing and worthy of praise, because in worship we hear the Holy Scriptures preached, lift our voices in song, and pray for our people, our community, and our world. Pastor David Lose, now the senior pastor at Mount Olivet, used to say to his students at Luther Seminary, “We go to weekly worship because a week is about as long as we dare go without being reminded of whose we are and who we are called to be.” The experience of worship invades our spirits, challenges our biases, and calls us forth to new life in all we say and do.

It is not surprising then that the change of any worship times is upsetting to some of the faithful – worship is who we are and what we do – and some of us have routines that we don’t like to have challenged or changed. The newly established worship committee has a large task this summer with their first project – determining fall worship times. We were so impressed with this group and how seriously they are taking this responsibility. The first thing the group did was to set out what their goal was in determining worship times. They decided that their goal was to determine what times offered the highest quality worship experience, for the greatest number of people of all ages, to draw us closer to knowing, loving, and serving God. Another way to put that is they are asking what worship times will help us to live out our mission of connecting, growing, and serving for the most people, having the most meaningful experiences. This will be a difficult decision.

However, they have also determined the process necessary to arrive at their conclusion. Over the winter, this group researched what other churches our size have been doing. They found out what churches with two campuses were doing. They analyzed how those things would work at Bethel and are bringing those findings to the table for discussion. They have also analyzed the statistics of worship attendance, both prior to and since, our time changes. There have been two meetings in the month of June and the committee is working to find recommendations that they can bring to the larger congregation for further discussion and input. Listening sessions are planning to be held and we hope you will consider attending one and give some thought as to how you might answer the question they are tasked with: What is the best for Bethel’s community overall, as we continue to live out our mission and ministries going forward?

Cynthia Holmes Landry has written about why we worship, and we think it is a good reminder to share. She says, “Worship is not about us. Exalting God is not about what you can get out of it; it is about choosing to praise God and trust Him regardless of your circumstances because you know Him and you know that He is sovereign, loving, and by your side. God has already given us life, His Son on the cross, and the promise of eternal life.” The heart of worship is a response of submission, love, and joy to God’s love and His might. Please pray for this group as they discern the best path forward. Pray that God will guide their paths and their hearts. We hope you will join us in worship!

Pastor Kris and Pastor Ladd