How to Walk Into Church (By Thomas Hill)

When we understand what the church is and what happens when it gathers, it impacts the way we walk into the gathering. Tony Payne explains: “We’re walking into a gathering that God himself has called together, as part of his majestic plan to save and gather his people around the Lord Jesus Christ. We’re walking into an outpost or foretaste of the great spiritual, heavenly assembly of the people of God.”[1] How we walk into church, then, matters.

Paul also taught the same thing. He urged the Ephesian believers to approach the church’s gatherings with purpose: “Look carefully then how you walk …  be filled with the Spirit, 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” (Eph 5:15–21). The Lord desires his people’s Spirit-filled participation!

Let’s take a few moments to reflect on how we walk into the church’s gatherings each Sunday.

Before You Walk Into Church

• Decide to go—prepare on Saturday to worship on Sunday.

• Pray for those who will come and what we will do together on Sunday. Pray for fellow members by name. Pray for guests who will join us.

• Prepare for what we will do together. Read the sermon text several times (Sermon schedule). Learn the songs we will sing (Spotify link).

• Arrive early.

• Pray about where to sit. How does your seat selection facilitate worship and loving one another?

After You Walk Into Church

• Care for guests by making sure they have anything needed, such as a bible or an info guide.

• Assist with nuts and bolts. If something needs to be done, take the initiative to help.

• Pray, sing, and enthusiastically. Own prayers personally by agreeing with a hearty “AMEN!.”

• Listen to the sermon attentively. Have your Bible open and heart engaged. Make sure your phone is not a distraction.

• Consider your life. How will you think, believe, and act in light of the sermon?

When Church Finishes but Doesn’t

• Linger in conversation for 10-15 minutes after the service.

• Greet guests first. Introduce yourself to someone you don’t recognize.

• Trigger spiritually helpful conversations by bouncing off the sermon: "That was really interesting what the pastor said about _____. What did you think?"

• Ask others how they came to salvation in Christ: “Phil, I don’t think I remember how you came to follow Christ. How did it happen with you?

• Ask others how you can pray for them & pray for them at that time.

How to Walk Out of Church

• Go to lunch with others.

• Apply the sermon to your life.

• Remain connected to the church during the week.

• Plan to invite non-believers next Sunday.

• Check in on anyone you noticed was absent.

BIG PLANS THIS SUNDAY

This Sunday, May 18, we will meet as usual at 10:30 am for gathered worship. In addition to singing, praying, and preaching, we plan to baptize Diane Robinson. After the service, we will move into the fellowship hall for a covered-dish lunch. Please bring a dish or two to share (the church will not provide meat, so please bring main dishes, too). Toward the end of the meal, after everyone is served, we will observe the Supper by partaking of the bread and cup. The church will provide elements. Following the meal, we will begin the members meeting. Please prioritize this gathering by keeping your calendar clear until after 3:00 pm on Sunday.

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas

[1] Adapted from Tony Payne, How to Walk Into Church (Mathias Media: 2015).

Making the Supper a Meal (By Thomas Hill)

On Sunday, May 18, following gathered worship we will continue congregating after the service for our quarterly covered dish lunch and members meeting. As a special addition, we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper as a church family during lunch in the fellowship hall. This is a change of routine for us, so I want to prepare us all adequately.

Background

Several weeks ago, when I was preaching about the Lord’s Supper, I noted that the early church at times incorporated the Lord’s Supper into a larger church meal, similar to how Jesus instituted the Supper over a meal in the upper room. Several references hint at eating the Supper as a church meal (See Acts 2:42, 46; 1 Cor 11:17-34; and Jude 12). At least one reference makes no mention of an accompanying meal (Acts 20:7). Either way, there is no clear, positive command, one way or the other. Since we routinely eat the Supper without a meal, I think it would be beneficial for us, on occasion, to incorporate the Supper into an all-church meal.

Planning

Here is the plan for Sunday, May 18, and how you can prepare. We will gather as normal at 10:30 for gathered worship. In addition to singing, praying, and preaching, we expect to baptize Diane Robinson that morning. After the service we will move into the fellowship hall for the covered-dish lunch. Please bring a dish or two to share (the church will not provide meat, so please bring main dishes, too). Toward the end of the meal, after everyone is served, we will observe the Supper by partaking of the bread and cup. Elements will be provided by the church and set out on each table. Following the meal we will begin the members meeting.

Preparing

Here are several things you can do to prepare for the day. First, prepare your heart to eat the supper by dwelling on Christ, confessing sins, and reconciling with others. Second, prioritize this gathering by keeping your calendar clear until after 3:00 pm that Sunday afternoon. Third, have fun planning the dishes you bring.  Got a scrumptious recipe or new venture you’d like for others to try?  Here is a great opportunity.

Benefits

I foresee several benefits of incorporating the Lord’s Supper as a church-wide meal. First, it will serve as a noticeable cue that we eat as the assembled church, not merely as individual believers. Second, changing up the routine gives us the opportunity to experience the Supper in a fresh way. Third, moving the Supper to accompany the members meeting is a reminder of the importance of this meeting. Let’s pray and prepare!

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas

Understanding the Lord's Supper (By Thomas Hill)

Understanding the Lord’s Supper

It helps to break up long road trips by occasionally stopping for a bit of sightseeing. My plan with the Luke sermon series is to do something similar by sprinkling in several short series along the way. This pattern will help us to remain fresh and expectant each Sunday. The first short series begins this Sunday: Understanding the Lord’s Supper from 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.

There are several reasons a three-week focus on the Lord’s Supper will be beneficial to us. First, we want our participation in the Lord’s Supper to be thoughtful and meaningful. We can mitigate rote habits and thoughtless rituals with better understanding. Second, the need for ongoing instruction is always present. Not only do each of us need regular reminders of the Lord’s instruction, but Crestview has also added many members since I last preached on this ordinance. Third, I regularly receive questions from/about non-members eating the Supper. Since this question surfaces consistently, it seems prudent to equip all members to answer the "who" question correctly.

Last, a survey revealed that as many as 52% of SBC churches practice open communion (welcoming unbaptized, non-church members to eat). If accurate, this would indicate that a majority of SBC churches may be practicing the Supper in a way that stands contrary to the Baptist Faith & Message and the majority of Baptist churches in history. I hope to promote the joyful significance of celebrating our Lord's Supper among regenerated, baptized church members.

Because I will be preaching about the Lord's Supper, it seems fitting that we celebrate the Supper each of the following three Sundays. This is not a permanent change to weekly practice; it is merely a short-term way to strengthen our hearts through this series. After this series, we plan to return to celebrating monthly.

Spring Quarter Begins This Sunday

This Sunday, March 2, begins the new spring quarter. In addition to the new sermon series, new equipping courses begin. See the list of new classes in the newsletter below. The start of spring is an ideal time to plug into the church!

Who Will You Invite This Sunday?

I love how many of you are praying and purposefully engaging friends, family, and neighbors in gospel conversations! An excellent way to help those around you hear the gospel is to invite them to gathered worship on Sundays. Hearing a sermon is a chief way the Spirit draws disciples. Bring a friend to experience the preaching, singing, praying, and loving of the church. Who will you invite this week?

Vermont Mission Team

The 58-person mission team from Christ Memorial Church in Vermont has arrived and is working on updates to the McIntosh campus. They are “camping” in our fellowship hall building and cooking their meals here. Thank you to all who have helped to welcome them. As you have opportunities to interact with them, let’s continue extending warm hospitality.

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas

A Special Day

Lord’s Supper & Members Meeting this Sunday

We should always prioritize gathering with the church each Lord's Day. But the days we celebrate the Lord's Supper and have our quarterly members meeting, like this coming Sunday, should have a particular priority.

Our faith grows as we eat the supper, obeying Jesus's command to remember him in this way. As we eat, we testify to our incorporation into the Lord’s church (“The bread that we break is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” 1 Cor 10:16). What a privilege to gather and eat!

Congregationalism is a conviction that comes with certain obligations. Under the Lord, each Crestview member not only shares a common faith and doctrine but is also tasked with the responsibility to hear the updates from your leaders and participate in decision-making. Remember, the local church is the sum of its members. Unless providentially hindered, I hope we will all display the biblical conviction of living congregationalism this Sunday by being present.

Adjustment to our Saturday Service Day Efforts

The time has come to adjust to our Saturday service days. We are not making immediate plans to organize a Crestview-specific service team each Saturday. In its place, we will encourage volunteering with Samaritan’s Purse. Many want to continue serving with storm cleanup. Samaritan's Purse intends to continue operating out of Oak Hill Church until at least March 11. They have a good list of homes, tools, and staff to assess needs. Training begins daily at 7:30 am and 12:30 pm, including Saturdays. Let’s continue to pull together Crestview folks and use this avenue to serve neighbors and share the gospel on Saturdays (or other days).

Of course, if a specific home needs help, we can always organize a Crestview-specific effort through our deacons.

Roof Work Starting Soon

Weather permitting, and Lord willing, we hope to start roofing work next week!

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas

Reasons to Attend this Sunday

“And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples…” Acts 6:2

REASONS TO ATTEND THIS SUNDAY

There are many reasons you should be present this Sunday, but I want to encourage you with three. First, it is the Lord’s Day, and He is worthy of all worship and devotion. Your church needs your voice, service, hospitality, gifts, and involvement.  Second, we will be eating the Lord’s Supper together. Every believer who is physically able to do so should make attendance at the Lord’s table a priority. Let’s not take this lightly. Eating together as one assembly nurtures the church and is a way you continue to identify as a follower of Jesus and member of his church.

MEMBERS MEETING

The third reason to be present this Sunday is our quarterly members meeting immediately following gathered worship. When significant decisions were needed in the churches of the New Testament, the entire church was gathered to make them. Due to covid we had to postpone the February meeting, so this is our first one in six months. You will receive important updates on the life of the church, hear recommendations from the elders on several important decisions, receive new members, see others out of membership, and learn about plans to add additional seating in the worship center. If you are not present, you will miss something and we will miss you. We will move through the content as quick as reasonably possible so expect the meeting to take 30-45 minutes.

Thank you for planning ahead and being present this Sunday!

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas

What About Lord's Supper This Sunday?

So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another – if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home…1 Corinthians 11:33-34a

WHAT ABOUT LORD’S SUPPER THIS SUNDAY?

When we meet this Sunday for Gathered Worship, we plan to eat the Lord’s Supper as Christ’s assembled church. This is one of the believer’s high privileges of being united to Christ and a member of his church. Because a portion of you may be planning to watch from home, I think it is wise for a bit of pastoral counsel about how to approach the supper this Sunday.

I am aware of churches who have encouraged the practice of “virtual Lord’s Supper” in which families prepare and eat their own bread and juice at home as they watch a live stream of the service. I and our elders do not encourage you to do this. While well-intentioned, this kind of “virtual Lord’s Supper” is a practice that takes “virtual church” too far. Watching a live stream is a temporary aid but is not a replacement for the gathering of the local church family.  A “virtual Lord’s Supper” does not seem to be wise because it is at odds in several ways with Scripture’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.  

In this passage, Paul meticulously corrects several errors in the church’s understanding and practice of the supper:

1. He is clear that the supper is for the gathered church and not to be eaten independently: “One goes ahead with his own meal…do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God…” (vss. 21-22).

2. He urges them to eat as the assembled church at a time and location that maximizes participation: “So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another” (vs. 33).

3. He makes a distinction between the location of the gathered church and the family home: “…when you come together to eat, wait for one another – if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home” (vs. 33)

In light this, it is our practice as a church to eat the Lord’s Supper in Gathered Worship on Sundays, as we will this week. Join us if you are able. If you are unable to attend, due to COVID concerns or other physical limitations, we understand and will miss you. For most of you, such an absence is short-term and temporary.  So, as you watch from home, I pray the Spirit will minister to you during this challenging season and that the live stream will be an aid to this. I also pray that your desire to, “Do this in remembrance of me” (vs. 25), will draw you back to regularly assembling with your church as soon as you are able.

MODIFIED GATHERING PLANS FOR JANUARY

As a reminder, we are pausing our small group gatherings for the remainder of January. This is our current ministry schedule:

• Sunday 10:30 AM Gathered Worship: Our Sunday gathering takes place in-person and via live stream as normal.  There are no equipping courses, nursery, or community group gatherings. Children sit with their parents during the service.  

• Wednesday 6:30 PM Discipling: We meet as one group in the worship center for Discipling. We are studying the Gospel of Luke and praying together. There is no nursery, kids, or student ministries, but families are welcome to participate together in the worship center. This gathering is not be available by live stream.

 For His Glory,

 Pastor Thomas