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How busy should a church be(e)? 

 

Bees

 

Before we reopen everything it’s worth thinking about this question.  

Although it feels unspiritual and a backward step to do less there could be good reasons for it.  We discussed eight - 

1)  An individual Christian is too busy when they can’t do all the other things God calls them to.  e.g. personal prayer (Matt 6), teaching their children (Deut 6), diligent work (Col 4), invested marriage (Eph 5), care of parents (Mark 7, 1 Tim 5), personal evangelism, rest, exercise.  If a church’s programmes are too busy it could inadvertently be bad for the conscientious believer who does everything.  

2)  So far as Scripture is concerned there is no command to meet twice on a Sunday or for midweek small groups.  These are great things but it’s worth being clear that they are not mandated.  A church could be equally obedient and keen that has a very different set up of programmes.  We need to be devoted to prayer, scripture, fellowship (Acts 2) but not to a particular set of programmes.  

3)  Times have changed in the last 30 years.  The average worker probably does longer hours.  Many husbands and wives both work and have to manage between them to cover childcare.  Without compromising what God has called us to or watering down discipleship, we have to take that seriously.  

4)  Times have changed in terms of evangelism.  Alpha courses used to be full.  Now many people know nothing at all, and the journey is longer.  That means that a diary full of evangelistic events may only to attract a tiny crowd (probably the same faces each time).  If we put on less it could be better - so long as we all aimed to spend the extra time in intentional friendships.

5) The church calendar can teach what a keen Christian should be committed to.  If we put on too much for anyone, we’re teaching that folk can pick and choose and it’s fine not to do lots of things e.g., like the prayer meeting.  A trimmed back calendar might help show that serious membership means something costly yet manageable that we all do.  

6)  A less busy church gives more scope for short term focused things  e.g., a mission, a parenting course, a marriage refresher, developing leaders.  It can give some space for creativity and spontaneity.  

7)  It could mean volunteers are less stretched.

8)  It could mean even higher quality that might help us grow.  

We talked and prayed through this as Elders but deliberately made no decisions.  We may indeed open everything we ran before the pandemic but we’d want to do that thoughtfully and prayerfully - not just because we always have. 

In sharing this post, we hope it might help each group leader to think and pray too.  

“Whatever you do, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.”  Colossians 3.17

Elders, 27/05/2021
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Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have this page for you to get to know us.
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Welcome...

Come and join us...

 
Barnaby 4 Hello, my name is Barnaby, and I am the Pastor here at Lancing Tab. The aim of this website is just to give you a flavour of who we are and what we're about as a church.
 

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We’re a church for the whole community in and around Lancing. Come as you are whatever doubts and questions you have.

icon3 As a church family, we all face different challenges, but we believe the Bible’s message about Jesus’ love and rescue are what we most need.
 
icon2 We meet at our building on North Road (next to the Co-op) at 10.30am each Sunday. It’s free and informal with tea, coffee, and kids’ groups.
 
Tabfront2
 

Sat Nav Postcode BN15 9BB

Our address is:
105 North Road
Lancing
West Sussex
BN15 9BB

There is limited street parking around the Tab. A public car park in North Farm Road is a two-minute walk. The charges for the cark park are £1 on Sundays.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets available.

 
 

Sundays...

 


SundayWEC


Our 10:30am service is simple and informal and normally runs for just over an hour. People wear anything from T-shirts to suits. You are welcome to bring kids of any age. 
 
We do the following:
  • Share news – because we’re a family.
  • Sing – because we love God.
  • Confess sin – because we don’t want to pretend, we’re anything but people in need of grace.
  • Look at the Bible – because that’s how we listen to God.
  • Pray – to ask God for his help.
  • We might have a baptism or take the Lord’s supper - to celebrate Jesus’ rescue.
  • We have coffee afterwards - to take real time together.


What about my kids?


kids

We love having the noise of lively children – so don’t worry!   They stay for the first 15 minutes of the service and then head to some excellent groups.  (Link to Itab) Creche (0-3), 4-10s group, and 11-15s group.   Older teens stay in the service.

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome, songs and notices. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. At the end of the notices someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups. 

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games, and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team. 
 
 
 

More than a Sunday...

 

While Sundays are a fantastic way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our pastoral groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet during the week, some daytime, and some evenings. 

 
kidslogo Kid’s club (£1 per child)
Reception to year 6
Wednesday 6-7pm, term time
Lots of fun. Bible stories. Hide and seek. Sports. Tuck shop!
 
Toddler Group Toddler group (£1 entry)
Wednesday 10-11.15am, term time.
Toys, craft, and songs. A chance for parents to meet and chat and have a cup of coffee.
 
Youth Youth group (£1 entry)
School years 7-11
Wednesday 7.30pm, term time.
Lots of fun. Opportunities to ask questions about the Christian faith. Games, trips to the beach, camping and much more!
 
senior Older people’s group
Tuesday fortnightly, 10.30am.
Hymns, prayer, Bible talk, coffee, and biscuits. A great place for friendship - all welcome.
 
coffee Cafe in the church
1st and 3rd Saturdays, 10am-12.
Free coffee and cake. Kids toys. A friendly space.
 
 

Contact us with any questions...

 
 
If you have any questions or would like to know more details about the church or our activities, please complete the form below.
 
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