Reuniting our Church Family into One Worship Service
We are glad to announce that we will be reuniting our church family into one worship service this Sunday, February 13. We will gather for Sunday School at 9:00am, and we will hold one worship service at 10:00am.
Instead of our church family being separated into two groups from week to week, we rejoice at the opportunity to reunite our family into one service. As the church is the assembly of the saints, we rejoice to be assembled, and to worship our Lord together as one gathering. It is a joy to see our church family united in one place at one time, and to worship with our brothers and sisters instead of missing them on a regular basis when we have a two-service schedule.
In the early years of OBC’s history, we held one worship service as we met in Prince William County Schools. After the building was completed in 2005, it wasn’t long before two worship services became necessary. During 2020, one of the unexpected gifts that came with COVID was the reunion of our members into one gathering when we met outdoors. Due to the blessing of this time together, we repeated that again this last summer, and it has been our prayer to reunite our church family into one service.
In our planning, we were originally looking at a different timeline, but in God’s providence it became necessary for us to hold one service this past Sunday. In review of the goodness of this past week, we have decided to move forward with the decision to shift to one worship service.
Instead of our church family being separated into two groups from week to week, we rejoice at the opportunity to reunite our family into one service. As the church is the assembly of the saints, we rejoice to be assembled, and to worship our Lord together as one gathering. It is a joy to see our church family united in one place at one time, and to worship with our brothers and sisters instead of missing them on a regular basis when we have a two-service schedule.
In the early years of OBC’s history, we held one worship service as we met in Prince William County Schools. After the building was completed in 2005, it wasn’t long before two worship services became necessary. During 2020, one of the unexpected gifts that came with COVID was the reunion of our members into one gathering when we met outdoors. Due to the blessing of this time together, we repeated that again this last summer, and it has been our prayer to reunite our church family into one service.
In our planning, we were originally looking at a different timeline, but in God’s providence it became necessary for us to hold one service this past Sunday. In review of the goodness of this past week, we have decided to move forward with the decision to shift to one worship service.
Our New Sunday Schedule
7:15am – Music Rehearsal
Our music and A/V team arrive and prepare for leading the congregation in singing.
8:20am – Lord’s Day Prayer
This time of prayer is for elders, the music and a/v team, ministry leaders, and any members who would like to gather for prayer before services begin. We will meet at the front of the sanctuary to pray. (During this time the sanctuary doors will be closed, but all who want to join us for prayer may come in).
8:45am – Coffee
Coffee will be available in the foyer before Sunday School.
9:00am – Sunday School
Sunday School classes are available for all ages. Childcare and PreK-K meets in the upstairs children’s wing, and all elementary age classrooms are downstairs. Youth Group meets in the Gathering Place downstairs. Adults meet in the sanctuary.
10:00am – Worship Service
Our church family will gather together in the sanctuary for one worship service.
Our music and A/V team arrive and prepare for leading the congregation in singing.
8:20am – Lord’s Day Prayer
This time of prayer is for elders, the music and a/v team, ministry leaders, and any members who would like to gather for prayer before services begin. We will meet at the front of the sanctuary to pray. (During this time the sanctuary doors will be closed, but all who want to join us for prayer may come in).
8:45am – Coffee
Coffee will be available in the foyer before Sunday School.
9:00am – Sunday School
Sunday School classes are available for all ages. Childcare and PreK-K meets in the upstairs children’s wing, and all elementary age classrooms are downstairs. Youth Group meets in the Gathering Place downstairs. Adults meet in the sanctuary.
10:00am – Worship Service
Our church family will gather together in the sanctuary for one worship service.
A Few Logistics
Over the past few months, we have been praying and working toward one worship service. Last month we removed the stage, reduced its size, and reconfigured the sanctuary. As we did this, we were able to significantly increase our sanctuary seating capacity. When we gathered for worship in one service this past Sunday, our attendance numbers show that we still had about a third of our seats empty, which is close to our monthly attendance average.
As we consider the seating capacity in our sanctuary, and to make room for guests, it is important for us to sit together and exercise hospitality. Let us welcome others and invite them to sit with us. Please make the empty seats of your row available for others, and avoid blocking off empty seats. Before you slide down the row to sit with your neighbor, please check with them to see how many seats they may need for their family. As we have increased proximity with one another, let’s give grace to each other, and rejoice at the opportunity we have to be with each another. May the Lord use this to increase our fellowship and our worship!
As we make this transition, we invite you to share your feedback with us. Let us know if you notice areas that need care. We know we may need to make adjustments along the way. If the sanctuary becomes increasingly full, please know it’s a priority for us that families be able to sit together, and that we continue to have room for visitors to enter and hear the preaching of the gospel. We will continue to watch this.
On high attendance Sundays (Easter, Mother’s Day, etc), it may be necessary to shift outdoors and hold one gathering. If there’s inclement weather on those days, we will hold two indoor services as necessary.
Should the Lord give growth, it may require us to return to two services. But until that day comes, it is our plan and our joy to have our entire church family together. And to this end, pray that the Lord would give us wisdom and direction as we continue to consider future facilities.
For now, we invite you to come together to worship our Great God, and let us rejoice to do so with our entire church family. We look forward to seeing you all together this Sunday.
As we consider the seating capacity in our sanctuary, and to make room for guests, it is important for us to sit together and exercise hospitality. Let us welcome others and invite them to sit with us. Please make the empty seats of your row available for others, and avoid blocking off empty seats. Before you slide down the row to sit with your neighbor, please check with them to see how many seats they may need for their family. As we have increased proximity with one another, let’s give grace to each other, and rejoice at the opportunity we have to be with each another. May the Lord use this to increase our fellowship and our worship!
As we make this transition, we invite you to share your feedback with us. Let us know if you notice areas that need care. We know we may need to make adjustments along the way. If the sanctuary becomes increasingly full, please know it’s a priority for us that families be able to sit together, and that we continue to have room for visitors to enter and hear the preaching of the gospel. We will continue to watch this.
On high attendance Sundays (Easter, Mother’s Day, etc), it may be necessary to shift outdoors and hold one gathering. If there’s inclement weather on those days, we will hold two indoor services as necessary.
Should the Lord give growth, it may require us to return to two services. But until that day comes, it is our plan and our joy to have our entire church family together. And to this end, pray that the Lord would give us wisdom and direction as we continue to consider future facilities.
For now, we invite you to come together to worship our Great God, and let us rejoice to do so with our entire church family. We look forward to seeing you all together this Sunday.
Recent
Archive
2024
2023
February
September
2022
February
April
September
October
2021
August
September