Rally Sunday
On Sunday, September 11th, Ebenezer will be hosting our yearly, “Rally Sunday” with Sunday School for all ages starting at 9:15 (children only this first Sunday) and worship at 10:30. With the school year starting mid-August, our Youth Director Katie Papillon has already begun the youth programs of Youth Group and Club 56. For the rest of our church programs, Rally Sunday is the kick-off to the church year with Sunday School, Confirmation, Bible Study, and various other ministries beginning. We’re hoping Rally Sunday will inspire our Ebenezer members and Northwood community to join us in this Sunday service as we begin together a new season of Sunday worship.
It was the writer to the Hebrews who challenged us –
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23)
A believer in Christ has a “hope” that we can “hold unswervingly” because our Lord Jesus who has promised us a hope of forgiveness and new life and is “faithful” to His promises. With Jesus giving us this hope we’re next challenged to –
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:24)
This verse is speaking to our Ebenezer church family calling us to live out our faith in “love and good deeds”. Our place is to “spur one another on”, or encourage and challenge each other in ways of serving and giving as we seek to live as Jesus would. All this calls us to –
“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)
God has said that coming together and worshiping as a church body is something we can get out of the “habit of doing” but is something not to “give up”. Coming together as a church family is our opportunity to spur each other on and how we can encourage one another. We can’t give up meeting together as Christians because the “Day” is approaching. Each day that passes is one day closer to our eternity. As the old saying puts it:
“Only one life will soon be passed. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
Come To Worship and Stay For Food and Fellowship.
As we come primarily to worship, we also invite you to stay for food and fellowship. An after service lunch has been planned by the Parish Education Committee. This year, all the food items will be provided and you are asked to bring nothing but yourselves to the meal. For the children and youth, inflatables will be set up outside to bless families with children.
Invite Our Friends
I ask and challenge you to become an invitation voice inviting our neighbors and friends to join us in this special service. Please make an concerted effort to personally invite a friend, relative, or neighbor to this special service. Think of someone who is new(er) in town who doesn’t have a church home as yet and invite them to Rally Sunday. You may also think of an Ebenezer member who has gotten out of the habit of attending church and invite them. Make a real effort to make people feel welcomed and wanted as you invite them. We have put an ad in the Gleaner, have hung banners, and have put notices in Facebook all to promote Rally Sunday. However, there is nothing more effective than a friend inviting a friend.
Ask for God’s Blessing
All the effort to “rally” the Ebenezer faithful and invite our community is an empty effort without this being about God and His Gospel. Remember there is a high purpose in this effort. We are inviting people to Ebenezer all to introduce them to the life-changing person of Jesus, our Savior and Lord. Certainly, we’re not making Rally Sunday about filling seats. This is ultimately about inviting our community to Ebenezer so they can be introduced to Christ and grow in faith in Jesus Christ! With this very spiritual goal, a vital need is for all to pray and humbly ask the Lord to protect the day from the enemy and allow His Word and Spirit to fill all things we do. The worship team will lead us in song. I will lead us in a message from God’s Word. We all will reach out in love to each other. Yet, it is the Lord alone who must reach into our hearts and move us to Himself. The Psalmist writes, “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” (Psalm 127:1) Our human efforts only succeed with divine blessing. So the most vital step we must take is to pray and ask our Lord to come and meet us in this service and show us His Gospel.
Will you join us to make Rally Sunday a success? The plans for this service are pretty much in place as a number of key leaders and volunteers are making it happen. But we need all of our Ebenezer members to take a part. Would you commit to pray for the service asking for God’s abundant blessing and also invite a friend to come with you?
“Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.” “Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.” (John 1:45–46)
Pastor Mark
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