Backyard Churches?

 

“What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.” *

In past years, Al and I have enjoyed sightseeing and exploring during vacation time. Many of our trips have been organized by large tour companies with groups averaging twenty or more people. Our trip to Switzerland last August was probably my most favorite of all, although it’s really hard to decide. Each one has been a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience!

It was disappointing when we had to cancel several planned outings this summer. One was a weeklong stay at Isle Royale National Park, an island in Lake Superior, studying wolves and moose. Leave it to Al to find interesting opportunities for learning and adventure! This sounded like another great one.

Close behind that was a road trip around Lake Huron, one of the five Great Lakes. He was especially looking forward to a train ride in northern Ontario as part of the adventure.

 In the middle of August, we were also planning on going to the Western Southern Tennis Open in Cincinnati with our daughter, Shanda, and her two young boys. We were hoping to see some of the great names in tennis there. Tickets had been purchased way ahead of time and reservations made at a hotel in Cincinnati.

 Well, with the coronavirus, all of those plans were cancelled. And here we are at home, still waiting and planning! Something similar most likely has happened to you as well.

One of the travel companies that we’ve used in the past recently sent an email with the title “Step Inside” and a photo of Yosemite Valley. The company gave a very compelling invitation:

“When you decide you’re ready to venture out and learn about the world again, you might want to keep your circle small. Choose a small-group program centered around a topic that you find fascinating, and connect with a tight-knit crew of lifelong learners who just might become lifelong friends!” (Road Scholar)

 Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? A good option for those of us who are waiting and wondering “when?” There are actually some more options opening up for those of us who have been attending church online as well and who might not be ready to attend a service with a large group of people.

 Our pastor recently preached a series of sermons on “House Churches” from the book of Acts, with the purpose of encouraging those people who want to cautiously start “expanding their circle” by meeting together in small groups for worship. “God doesn’t need a church building to accomplish His purpose,” he said.

Pastor Zack gave a good explanation of how the modern house or backyard church might work. He envisioned having groups of about ten people gathering in backyards, public parks or other outdoor areas. Under the wing of the larger church, “backyard churches” would emphasize prayer, teaching from the Bible and fellowship with other believers.

Someone would the host the service; another might want to facilitate. Fellow church members, neighbors, family members and friends could all be invited. It all sounded very doable, a safe way to get together and a way that most of us could at least be participants, if not a host or facilitator.

As things turned out, there are now three small groups of people gathering to worship, including one in our new prayer garden on Saturday mornings. All of the groups are either following the pastor’s sermon online or using discussion questions generated by the sermon for the teaching portion of their services. It has been inspiring as people have shared heartfelt stories, needs, answers to prayer and have begun worshipping God together again on a regular basis.

At one recent service, Al shared how important memorizing scripture has been in his life, remembering a time when he was leading a group over an icy mountain pass in the Mineral King area of Sequoia National Park. The reassuring words from Psalm 121 that the Lord was watching over him and would not let his foot slip helped Al as he had to dig out foot holds for the rest of the group with his ice axe.

Encouragement, joy, strength and spiritual growth are happening in our small backyard churches. Praise the Lord! The way He works in and through us never ceases to amaze me!

* 1Corinthians 14:26-27 NIV

(photos provided by Berkley First UMC of one of the new backyard church groups)