9:30 & 11:00

We are changing our service schedule on September 1st. We will worship at 9:30am & 11:00am. Each service will be 70 minutes long (our plan is always secondary to the Holy Spirit's plan). I am very excited about this improvement. Here is some of the motivating rationale behind the decision:

• I have not been satisfied that first service attendance has not grown in 2 years.
  
• 8:30am is really early!! For most people.
  
• 8:30am is practically impossible for families with kids. (that's enough rationale...but I will give more)
• 8:30am is really early for the Worship Team who arrives at least an hour early for sound check and warm up.
• 8:30 is really early for Ushers and Greeters and Kids workers.
• In a recent survey, more the 50% of the people polled thought that 9:30 would be better for them than 8:30.
  
• 9:30 allows us to launch a strong (equally excellent) kids ministry for first service (where it has only been second service)
• In that same survey, more than 75% of the people polled thought that the best way to grow first service was to offer kid's ministry.
  
• People who usually attend second service, may find that they would prefer to attend first service now that it is not as early...causing it to grow.
• We have not honestly had 2 identical services....first service is often not as __________ as second. (blank is intentional...not sure what to put in it....but we want them equal in quality and excellence.)
• We need to set both services up to grow at equal rates so that we can steward our parking and seating most efficiently.
  
• I recently read in a book that if we keep meeting in the same time, same room and same day...we might start expecting the same thing. Makes me think about churches....that have the identical service every week (with the exception of a different song title and message title). Maybe a new time will usher in new things! We'll see.
  

There is probably more rationale, but that is enough for now. Feel free to direct people to this blog entry if they are looking for more of the details behind this move.

--Pressing on!