Hello Church Family!
We wanted to give you an update on our gathering schedule for the holidays.
Traditionally, we take the last Sunday of the year off. This tradition has served our church family well because we have a lot of volunteers that make Sundays happen. Throughout the year we ask those who are committed to this church family to regularly serve as well as receive. We also encourage everyone to be in community throughout the week. It's a commitment we encourage in order to have a healthy reciprocity in relationships here at ENCS. So taking that last Sunday off is our way to honor the service and commitment of each of our volunteers. It's also an invite to rest and recharge before the beginning of the year.
Typically that last Sunday that we take off is between Christmas and New Year's Day, but this year the last Sunday is Christmas, and the first Sunday of the new year is New Year's Day. Both of these days are full of spiritual meaning and reasons to worship, and they are typically filled with lots of family events and a high amount of travel.
So we had to ask ourselves: do we still have Sunday gatherings on either of those days?
After discussion and prayer, our leadership team decided to take both of those Sundays as a Sabbath rest. So that means no gathering on December 25th or January 1st.
Why?
It's not because we don't value gathering, worship, and being devoted to God's word together. In fact, we have high regard for all of those.
We also have a high regard for our staff, volunteers, and their families. As we mentioned, we want to honor them and give them rest on those days.
But we can still gather and be the church!
Instead of gathering on Christmas Day or New Year's Day, we have two exciting opportunities to gather, pray, fellowship, and worship around the word.
The first is on Christmas Eve eve - hear Friday Dec 23 - from 4-8 pm we will be hosting a drop-in party with treats and cider. It will be a time to stop in for awhile to wish one another Merry Christmas, take a moment to pray with pastors or friends as you head into the culmination of Advent, and enjoy some treats.
We will also have a special online only ENCS holiday edition available beginning Dec 24th on our app/website and YouTube channel. We want to encourage you to continue to BE the Church - gather with friends and family, share your lives with each other, and set aside time to enjoy this special ENCS online only service with others. Rather than gather at the building, we hope you will gather as the church in your homes, invite others over, and worship and enjoy this pre-recorded teaching and celebration.
Though we are not gathering at the building on Christmas or New Year's Day, for very specific and (we think) meaningful reasons, remember to mark your calendar for our December 23rd open house and drop-in prayer time, set aside time to watch the special online holiday edition with friends and family sometime over the break.
We look forward to seeing you all January 8th to kick off our Every Nation global fasting week as we focus on the miracles of Jesus pointing to the messiah Jesus. Also, mark your calendar for our annual worship and "break the fast soup potluck" January 13th 6 pm at the Hub (4511 Roosevelt Ave NE). (Street parking is free after 6 pm!) It's going to be a great new year and we are so excited and humbled that we get to walk it with all of you.
In his service,
Pastors Perry & Danielle Burkholder
We wanted to give you an update on our gathering schedule for the holidays.
Traditionally, we take the last Sunday of the year off. This tradition has served our church family well because we have a lot of volunteers that make Sundays happen. Throughout the year we ask those who are committed to this church family to regularly serve as well as receive. We also encourage everyone to be in community throughout the week. It's a commitment we encourage in order to have a healthy reciprocity in relationships here at ENCS. So taking that last Sunday off is our way to honor the service and commitment of each of our volunteers. It's also an invite to rest and recharge before the beginning of the year.
Typically that last Sunday that we take off is between Christmas and New Year's Day, but this year the last Sunday is Christmas, and the first Sunday of the new year is New Year's Day. Both of these days are full of spiritual meaning and reasons to worship, and they are typically filled with lots of family events and a high amount of travel.
So we had to ask ourselves: do we still have Sunday gatherings on either of those days?
After discussion and prayer, our leadership team decided to take both of those Sundays as a Sabbath rest. So that means no gathering on December 25th or January 1st.
Why?
It's not because we don't value gathering, worship, and being devoted to God's word together. In fact, we have high regard for all of those.
We also have a high regard for our staff, volunteers, and their families. As we mentioned, we want to honor them and give them rest on those days.
But we can still gather and be the church!
Instead of gathering on Christmas Day or New Year's Day, we have two exciting opportunities to gather, pray, fellowship, and worship around the word.
The first is on Christmas Eve eve - hear Friday Dec 23 - from 4-8 pm we will be hosting a drop-in party with treats and cider. It will be a time to stop in for awhile to wish one another Merry Christmas, take a moment to pray with pastors or friends as you head into the culmination of Advent, and enjoy some treats.
We will also have a special online only ENCS holiday edition available beginning Dec 24th on our app/website and YouTube channel. We want to encourage you to continue to BE the Church - gather with friends and family, share your lives with each other, and set aside time to enjoy this special ENCS online only service with others. Rather than gather at the building, we hope you will gather as the church in your homes, invite others over, and worship and enjoy this pre-recorded teaching and celebration.
Though we are not gathering at the building on Christmas or New Year's Day, for very specific and (we think) meaningful reasons, remember to mark your calendar for our December 23rd open house and drop-in prayer time, set aside time to watch the special online holiday edition with friends and family sometime over the break.
We look forward to seeing you all January 8th to kick off our Every Nation global fasting week as we focus on the miracles of Jesus pointing to the messiah Jesus. Also, mark your calendar for our annual worship and "break the fast soup potluck" January 13th 6 pm at the Hub (4511 Roosevelt Ave NE). (Street parking is free after 6 pm!) It's going to be a great new year and we are so excited and humbled that we get to walk it with all of you.
In his service,
Pastors Perry & Danielle Burkholder