A Vista, Calif., megachurch canceled all worship services over the weekend, leaving no excuse for Christians to stay in the pews and out of "being" the church.
"So many people think of a church as a self-contained religious club – but it’s not," said Pastor Larry Osborne of North Coast Church. "A healthy church is a community of Jesus-followers who live out their spiritual commitment 24/7."
Over 6,000 North Coast attendees were expected to live out their commitment over the weekend as they tackled 139 community service projects at 70 sites throughout North San Diego County. On Oct. 25 and 26, the church closed its doors for a "Weekend of Service" and providing churchgoers the opportunity to show the love of Jesus.
On Saturday, participants completed a lot of prep work for painting, landscaping and other renovation projects, according to a church news update. The temperature rose to 90 degrees but the church community still went on strong, kicking off the Weekend of Service "with a bang."
The weekend event takes place every 18 months and is the culmination of the small projects North Coast engages in regularly.
"Our weekly service projects and our Weekend of Service are simply one more way help our members understand that church is what we are, not just something we go to," said Osborne in a released statement.
The Weekend of Service aims to mobilize the entire Vista congregation of some 7,000 weekend attendees. The event is almost entirely volunteer-led.
"We get a chance to all come together and accomplish huge tasks that we can’t do without everyone in our church pitching in," said Community Service Pastor Casey Yorman.
Last year, some 5,500 people participated and worked together on 92 projects at 54 sites, yielding $1 million in materials and labor.
North Coast had drawn a little controversy and concerns from other Christians when it first canceled worship services for community service work. The Vista church might have been the first megachurch to close down all its services to serve the community, according to Osborne.
"What we tell people is 'this week, we're going to be the church instead of going to church,'" Osborne commented, noting that critics have become fans of the Weekend of Service and that this year, North Coast has received no complaint.
North Coast's Weekend of Service is not part of a similar campaign organized by World Vision, Zondervan and Outreach, Inc. The three major Christian organizations have encouraged annual "Faith in Action" campaigns in which Sunday services are canceled and the entire congregation engages in service projects that day. The National Faith in Action campaign was held Oct. 12.
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hmm, well, let me start off by saying that the church was not meant for sinners it is meant to build up the saints, the followers of Christ so they can go out and spread the word......we need to have a balance. How can we build up others if we ourselves are spread thin? It is not the job of the church to make itself worthy of unbelievers and make sinners above what it is purposed for.... yes, serve others but not above following and serving God. Just the way that we live our lives, every second of every day is a witness more powerful than any community project..our reactions of hope and faith to things that traumatize the nation speak far louder. We are called to gather with our fellow brothers and sister in Christ, why do we need to do these other things in place of that? I just don't understand.......
Thanks for clarifying, Blacksho! See you in church!
melancthon: I did not mean to ask specifically about your church, I apologize for that appearance. I meant to ask ALL believers that question: Would you be missed?
You had a very good response. I would express my view that the assembling of the brethren, and the faith coming by hearing, can be done in a non-church building setting. My congregation (which is certainly not liberal!) is of the belief that we can show the love of God to non-believers by community service, and that so introducing them to what Christians are REALLY like, as opposed to the portrayal in the media, may make some more willing to listen to the Good News.
In the not-so-distant past, social welfare, hospitals, adoption agencies, and etc., were all in the purview of the Church. We have allowed this major part of God's world to be taken from Him and given to the State. We have allowed the Church to become "irrelevant" in daily life, in some ways.
While social justice cannot, nor should it, REPLACE the simple word of Christ, and Him crucified, the battle against the Enemy must include social issues and the responsibility of God's Church to those issues.
And yes, I will be attending corporate worship this Wednesday and Sunday :)
So we seem to agree that faith without works is dead, BUT we know that we are justified by faith and not by works lest any man should boast.
Where does that leave us? We cannot work our way into heaven, and God expects us to love and serve others.
As to whether that should be done on the Sabbath. Christ did good on the Sabbath. Healing a withered hand, etc. He also allowed his disciples to glean grain for them to eat on the Sabbath.
I guess what we need to be sure of is: Are we ministering to people and making sure they hear the gospel while doing these labors, or are we making ourselves feel ok about our own sinful lives by doing "good works" as a substitute for obedience to God's word?
our church has been doing this for years. its a great thing to do. we do it four times a year though because we're small and can't do a bunch all at once like that church in california can. its awesome that they are doing that. faith without works is dead.
Blacksho 89,
Thanks for the reply. If OUR church disappeared from the community--our church members would miss it; this is where our faith is built up and Christ feeds us, through the preached Word and the Sacraments. Faith comes by hearing--remember? And our Lord has COMMANDED that we not neglect the assembling of the brethren--surely His Words are important.
It seems that some of us evangelicals are following the path of the liberal Episcopals in the 60s who sold out the Gospel message (of what God has done through Christ) for the "social gospel," which is no Gospel.
melancthon: I need to ask whether we are still bound by the Law to attend services, and, if so, if we are in violation if we do not attend service on the (seventh day) Sabbath? Romans 12:1 teaches that our very bodies are the sacrifice demanded by God. Corporate worship can take form other than sit-kneel-sit-stand-kneel-call-and-response.
And blessings to my SDA brothers and sisters; you need not answer my earlier question.
At any rate, churches in our area have been doing this for seven years, and it has been going on for longer than that in other areas. My favorite weekend of the year is ShareFest. Many different church bodies get together to be "THE Church" in service to the community, and then hold a mass Sunday service at noon when the job is done. Do a Google search for ShareFest for ideas on starting it in your community.
If YOUR church disappeared from the community-would anyone miss it?
Amen, Daniel Paul! We are to love God and love neighbor. Well put. But--and I hate to split hairs, I see nothing here that we "worship God" through our service to our neighbor. Cancelling worship services to serve your neighbor is not a form of worship of God; it's a profound mistake of what worship is.
That would be where Jesus said to love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself. This is the most compact and complete def of being a Christian.
It is cause and effect. You cannot do the first half without doing the last half. Love is an action word. It is a commitment which shows itself through action. Thus if you truely love the Lord your God with all that you are, you will love your neighbor as yourself which are in acts of service.
The Bible in speaking of our wives says that a man nurtures and charishes it (his body). These are actions. Also, faith without works is dead. We are to worship Him as spiritually alive beings. This means works are a result. Works = service.
Sorry, just a question. Where exactly do the Scriptures say we worship God by serving others? Romans 12:1 doesn't at all say that.
tp, Romans 12:1 says that presenting ourselves daily as a living sacrifice is our spiritual worship and some versions say our reasonable service. How can we worship God without serving others? So your post is right on target!
The Christians I know have no problem finding time for both.
Cancelled their services to serve others through the love of Christ, sure sounds like a worship service to me!!!!