Yesterday was the first Sunday in our new “church home” inside of a newly built elementary school. The launch team assembled at 8 a.m. to begin putting together what would be our “sanctuary” inside of the school’s cafeteria. It’s what a lot of new church plants have done recently, and it works out well. The churches reach an agreement to rent the cafeteria on Sundays to hold their services, and a lot of the schools will agree to have the custodian place the chairs as well as clean up after the service. Both the school and the church benefit from this exchange and rental agreement.
In preparing for launch Sunday in September, our group of volunteers needed to unbox, examine, and lay out the chairs that just arrived. Others put pipe and black drapes together to make it look more like a sanctuary instead of a cafeteria. While that was being done, a separate group was reorganizing closets for the school (with their permission) to allow our chairs to be stored neatly in the closet along with their supplies and chairs. Yet another group was setting up the children’s ministry areas. Honestly, it was amazing to all of us that the bulk of this only took 45 minutes to complete!
After a break complete with Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and a homemade cheesecake (which was absolutely devine!), our group walked outside as a whole. We wanted to discuss how our team would make sure every guest felt seen and welcomed to our church. From the parking lot to the pews, it all matters and needed to come together beautifully.
We will have a police officer at the church entrance along with our church flags, so people will know they are in the right place. A few members of our Connections Team will be out in the parking lot to greet people and open the door for them to walk inside. Our pastor said he didn’t want anyone coming to the church to touch the door. Period. He wanted to make sure all of our team is serving others from the start, even with something as simple as opening the doors to usher them inside. There, they will be greeted with other members of this team and pointed in the direction of the coffee and then connections table. Every first time guest will receive a white tote bag with our church name on it. We will have team members making sure to walk guests to the children’s ministry section so they can check their children in to the classrooms. The goal is to make sure every person is acknowledged without overcrowding them but making sure they all feel at home right from the start. The first 45 seconds will determine whether a person returns, so we are aiming for a good experience for all.
While we will have music going as guests are seated in the “sanctuary,” the Worship Team will be prepared to usher everyone into the presence of God at the beginning of the service. I’ve written previously on this awesome Worship Team that I’m blessed and honored to be a part of, and I know that God is going to richly bless the community we are serving because we are all doing this for the right reasons. We are taking “self” out of it and ensuring it is ALL about God!
When our pastor brings the word, they are in for a real treat as well. He adds a little bit of comedy in at the beginning, but once he gets down to business … wow! His messages really hit home. Although he didn’t “preach” a sermon this past Sunday, he did deliver a message like he did during our cultural training nights. It is always a blessing with the information he brings forth, the points he makes, the biblical references intertwined throughout, and how he ties it all together.
After it was all said and done yesterday, the team was probably at the school five hours from setting up, reviewing and discussing to get ideas, from the message brought forth, to tearing down the pipes and drapes for storage and putting away the chairs. Next week and the weeks after that won’t be as involved, as the school custodian will put out the chairs for us and put them away. We will setup the drapes, put our signs up inside and outside the building, and we will have church!!
I am so excited to be a part of this launch team and look forward to what God is going to do in the community through all of us. Thank you, Lord, for allowing us to be a part of this church plant and see lives turned over to you and souls saved!
