Dear Portico Church Members and Attenders,
Greetings! I hope you are all well and walking in the favor of the Lord!
I am writing to announce that beginning in June (6/5/22) we will have just ONE service, starting at 10 am.
Our church has been gathering in two services for almost two years. We originally added a service in the summer of 2020 when we were still meeting at Ballston Baptist church on Vermont St. The addition of a second service served the purpose of following social distancing guidelines that were issued at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. However, we continued to have a second service even after these guidelines were adjusted.
We moved to our current and permanent home at the beginning of 2021 and were unsure of how our church attendance would be influenced by the pandemic and new meeting location. As a result, we wanted to remain as flexible as possible and allow space to grow as we moved into a new neighborhood.
Now that we have a track record of meeting in our church building, we feel confident that a move to one service is currently what is best for the church!
Here are a few reasons why we are making this change:
Unity in Diversity. The unity of our church in the diversity of our members is demonstrated more fully when we gather as one body. We experienced this recently both during One Service Sunday in May and the Good Friday service.
We have enough room! Initially, we were unsure if there would be enough room for everyone to fit comfortably when we first moved into this building. We now can confidently anticipate that there are enough seats for everyone based upon our attendance over the last year and a half.
Volunteer capacity and demands. Moving to one service will make serving more accessible for the service teams and will help prevent burnout of volunteers as our teams will not have to provide service twice on a Sunday.
Church Engagement. Having one service gives greater opportunities for people in the church to know each other. We are a tight-knit community and one of the blessings of our size is that you can get to know a majority of other church members. Having one service will emphasize that strength and allow for church members across demographic differences to fellowship every week.
I hope that you all share in my excitement about the opportunity to worship at the same time. It is a grace from God, and not one that is always guaranteed (as we learned in the last two years). I also realize that all change comes with a cost and sacrifice. As we engage in a time change and shift to one service there will be opportunities to live out our love for one another.
Here are a couple of encouragements for you all to help us honor the Lord as we move forward:
“Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:19-21). We can find joy in laying down our preferences for the good of our brothers and sisters. You may be getting up a little earlier than you would like, or staying a little later than you are used to. You may have a little one with a nap schedule disrupted. All of these are inconveniences but must not become stumbling blocks. Let us be known for our address to one another in song, responding to Christ’s work of redemption together.
Purposefully get to know each other. Before and after church services, make it a priority to get to know someone whom you’ve not met! Keep an eye out for new people or people you don’t know and pursue them. Take advantage of having everyone together by being with each other after church. Go out to lunch or invite someone over for lunch. All of these are ways that we as Christians should strive to keep the Sabbath holy.
If you aren’t currently serving, please join one of the service teams. You are needed! Service is a part of worship (Romans 12:1), so if you aren’t serving you might be missing out on a key way that our church body worships the Lord.
You all have been examples to me of what it looks like to be patient and loving during trying times. Thank you for that! Let’s continue to follow in the example of Christ as we make this change.
Warmly,
Pastor Nate Wagner
FAQs
When will this start?
Sunday, June 5 we will have one service starting at 10am.
Why 10:00am?
Because it has to be sometime! We see this as a sensible compromise between the two service times that will also give us the ability to make use of the building after our service but before the Hispanic congregation comes into the building around 1pm for their worship.
Will we have enough room?
Yes. The pews in our sanctuary seat about 150 adults. For the last 18 months we have averaged around 110 adults combined between both services.
Is this permanent?
We are planning to remain at one service until it would become abundantly clear that we are not fitting everyone in the sanctuary for worship. At that point, the Leader Team will reassess. Our church tends to grow at a steady rate, so we anticipate having time before needing to address capacity issues.
What about COVID?
As you all know, COVID and how our government and society decide to respond to COVID, are very fluid. We will continue to stay updated on guidance from the CDC and VA Dept. of Health. We will continue to livestream for anyone who does not feel comfortable being in person and masks will continue to be optional.
What does this mean for service team arrival times?
Your team leads will reach out to their teams to inform them of those details. If you don’t hear from your team lead, you can contact Joye Allison at jallison@porticoarlington.org.