This Sunday morning, there will be two options for worship on our campus. People can join us outdoors in our parking lot or can participate in worship on screens inside the sanctuary. For those of who have been joining us via livestream, that option will continue.
Why are we going backwards? No one has asked me that question, but I suspect some of you may have thought that question when you learned we are returning to outdoor worship. After spending a couple of weeks indoors, why would we then run back outside into the July heat?
The answer is simple: you.
The church is not, and never has been, a distance learning experience. I am grateful for the opportunity the internet provides for many of to enjoy worship services from home. Because of our livestream, many of who cannot get out are able to be a part of worship at Malvern Hill.
But, the reality is that even though the livestream is good, it will never be a true substitute for the gathering of God’s people (See: Why Online Worship Leaves You Wanting More). The Greek word from which we translate church is ekklesia. The original definition of the Greek word is, “a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place.” In other words, the church is, by definition, the gathering of a group of people.
When we made the decision to return to outdoor worship, it was not a decision to go backwards. Instead, we are making the decision to do all we can to maintain the fellowship of believers at Malvern Hill. We want to see the church gathered. When we moved indoors, our gathering dropped by 50% and we immediately lost at least 40 family units who had been attending in-person worship services. By moving back outside, we give the greatest opportunity for the greatest number of people to gather for worship. In addition to our outdoor worship, the sanctuary will be available for any of who prefer to be inside to gather and worship with the service being live-streamed onto the screens inside the building.
We know that outdoor worship has some challenges. The heat in July and August in Camden, SC can be oppressive. However, we are committed to sweating for the sake of our brothers and sisters who cannot be indoors at this time. As with our move indoors, this move outdoors is not a permanent solution. It is the solution we believe best fits our church right now.
Moving outside isn’t moving backwards. Moving outdoors is moving toward our people. It is a move I am glad to make. I hope that you will make it with me.
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. –Hebrews 10:24-25
