The chaos of the school year is coming to an end (though for many, the last week of school seems the most chaotic of them all) and with it many programs throughout the church year also wrap up for the summer. But does that mean the church is closed too? 

Obviously we all know the answer to this – no. We are also open. And yet, I find that many of us lose our weekly rhythm of attending church. You might be asking right now, “What’s the big deal?” Well, it’s not about going to church. It’s about being the church. 

A few years ago I joined a Facebook group which is for people who left their churches. Why would a pastor do that? Well, I’m curious. I want to know why people leave their communities of faith and what I can do better –what we as the church can do better – to care for those in our church family. What I discovered is that many people actually still do believe in God – they’ve just become frustrated with the church or disenchanted with certain aspects of it. (That’s a whole other blog). 

The other interesting thing I discovered is that over and over, people express how much they miss the church community. That there is a very tangible feeling of loss and emptiness after stepping away from their church family. That there’s something different about church community, because they don’t find the same fulfillment in the mom’s groups, sports clubs, or at the gym. 

Here’s the thing about church. We don’t want you to just go to church – we want you to be the church. It’s not just about Sunday worship – it’s the community. When we step away from our Sunday rhythm (or whatever other days you go to church), we also step away from the ‘dance’ we do as a community. The weekly worship, praying for one another, breaking bread together, journeying as disciples together, serving together and growing deeper in our faith….together. The Church is the community of all believers – it’s a living, moving, breathing, body. 

Make a list of what you value about your church community. What do you miss? What would you like to see happen? How do you want to connect to your community? I’m excited for this summer at Pinnacle, because I know we will continue to be the Church. We will continue to worship, serve, live, and eat together. I hope to see you here.