I hope you have been as encouraged by the last few weeks at Southwest as much as I have. We finished our study of the Gospel of Mark by looking at the resurrection two weeks ago and did something different last Sunday with a time focusing on the story of Jesus told through scriptures and songs. As much as I enjoy preaching, it is good to change gears from time to time to see Jesus again in a different way. Our in-person worship attendance has grown to the point that we will be fully opening the middle to sections on the floor this Sunday. In fact, our attendance last Sunday was higher than it was on March 8, 2020, the last Sunday before COVID-19 changed so much in our lives.

 

On Wednesday evenings we have been going back to basics as we talk about church doctrines and why we do what we do. It can be easy to forget why we do those things that are so familiar to us. On Sunday evenings we have been looking at the command and promise to be disciples who make disciples. Spreading the gospel is a task we all have. As Christians, our responsibility does not end there.

 

For the next six weeks on Sunday mornings, we will look at the church from one more angle: what does a church member do? Sharing the good news is part of who we are, and keeping with our doctrines and traditions is important; but there is more to it than that. Being a member of the church requires commitment, a good attitude, a willingness to work from all of us. As we have learned on Wednesdays about what the church and congregations do as a whole, we will see how we fit into that group and what we can do to help the church be more of what God designed it to be.