Pastor's Weekly Update

SEPTEMBER 7, 2023

LAKESHORE FRIENDS—

This is the week that things change for the vast majority of us.  That’s because kids are back to school.

Things seem to change this week like few other weeks in the year.  No more late nights for kids (or noisy nights in the neighborhood).  No more holidays left this summer.  The days continue to get shorter and shorter for another four months, and they get cooler and cooler (ugh!). Football kicks off this weekend and we watch games most of the day on Sunday.  Our schedules even change whether we have kids, grandkids, or other kids that mean a lot to us.  It’s all such a sudden change.

With kids back to school, it’s also a great time to check ourselves and ask if we need to get back to church.  The summer really changes habits, schedules and rhythms for people.  With summer vacations and the like, people usually attend church a little less.  Sometimes a lot less.  Sometimes not at all.  We see it in our weekly attendance numbers and even have a term for it: the summer slump.  I’ve found that some people turn the summer slump into a fall and winter slump.  Sometimes, people find a new church, or (worse) just stop going to church altogether.  It’s so sad to witness.  I’ve never seen it leave people and families better off.

I hope that won’t be you.

With the kids back to school, I hope you’ll prioritize (or keep prioritizing) going back to church.  Jesus created His church for us to worship Him, learn more about Him, and spend time with others who want the same things.  When we love what Jesus loves, like the church, we experience the life that Jesus promises (John 10:10).  The opposite is also true.

Our doors are always wide open for you, your family, your friends, and our community no matter how long it’s been.  We’ll do all we can to put together services that help you and others discover and develop a growing relationship with Jesus.  We hope you’ll be back to church this week, or really soon.

Warmly,
Vince