A Change in Service Times
Dear PVUMC,
Grace and peace to you and your family on this beautiful August day. Remembering that this is the day the Lord has made, and so, we will rejoice and be glad in it.
I want you to know that I am enjoying getting to know the church and the people who make up this congregation. There is a sweetness, a strength, and a passion to follow God in this place. The strength of leadership at PVUMC has held us together through a difficult pandemic period. The sweetness (also known as kindness) has infused all our actions. And the passion for following Christ has led us forward even when the way seemed unclear. And so, I am grateful to be a part of this church family.
We have been making many changes in the worship arena for some time. We worshipped outdoors, in the Fellowship Hall, eventually moved to the Sanctuary, and finally the Ignite service moved back into the Chapel. Each move was made with much effort and diligent work from the leaders and staff. This progression of moves has been made to maintain safety and health, while acknowledging our strong desire to be worshipping together in person.
And so now we need to land on a schedule and place that helps this community. With the wisdom and work of the Worship, Music, & Fine Arts Team, and the support of the Church Council, we have made a decision for our worshipping schedule.
We are moving all the worship services to 9am starting on September 12. This means we will have worship concurrently: the Traditional Service in the Sanctuary, and Ignite (the Modern Service) in the Chapel. Many factors played into this decision, including:
- Ignite Worship will make the major move to meet at 9am instead of 11am. We believe this is a better time for most families with children. While this is a difficult move for some, most have agreed that the new time will benefit our greater reach to families.
- As we provide focus and resources to our children and youth, it will be advantageous for them to have one meeting time on Sunday mornings. Families will choose their preferred style of worship, and the children will be together in the Sunday School program. Starting September 12, they will also be with us in the beginning of the worship services. With this change, we will be able to see, experience, and grow from the children in our midst.
- The 8am service has been dwindling in numbers for some time. Those who attend this service have expressed their willingness to join the 9am Traditional Service so they can continue to experience excellent worship and community.
- We will have an ability to all be together on campus at the same time and to grow in fellowship with each other. Bible studies, classes, and music groups can meet together before and after the 9am worshipping time.
It is not a perfect solution, but we believe it is the best for now. Our hope is for deepening community and fellowship with each other; for growing the children and youth programs; for continuing to support the new online worshipping community, and for strengthening the presence of our amazing volunteers. As we reconvene in this post-pandemic period, we understand the need to be flexible, and to lead with our strengths. And so, we rejoice that we are one congregation, worshipping in three ways (traditional, modern, and online), while finding times to be together as a whole.
Thank you for your ongoing prayers and love for PVUMC. Thank you for being willing to move out of your comfort zone for the good of the church. Thank you for your kindness to each other, your strength, and your ongoing love for God in our world.
I continue to pray for you. If you have questions, feel free to email any of the pastors and we will do our best to address your concerns.
God be near you on this beautiful August day.
Grace y paz,
Pastor Dottie
Rev. Dr. Dottie Escobedo-Frank