An invitation to worship...

 
Good Day College Church,

So Deb and I take several days every fall and spring to fly to Austin, Texas, to see our son and daughter-in-law, Luke and Rachel and their four sons. We are usually gone over a Sunday and therefore, attend their church, Austin Stone. It is a really good church. They have a very good pastor whose messages are always compelling. The people are hospitable, and the music worshipful and done with excellence. If we lived in Austin, we would most likely attend Austin Stone with them. We are so grateful that Luke and Rachel and their boys participate in and love their church, for the Lord is certainly there.

And yet, there is something still missing when we attend their church (and it's not the church's fault!) Even though the people are hospitable, the music worshipful and the preaching soundly biblical, what is missing is you and College church. Austin Stone is a great church, but it isn't our church and they're not our people. It occurred to me that it feels a bit like attending someone else's family reunion. Everyone is friendly and having a great time and the food is great, but it's not a house we recognize, and it's not our family.

Because church is not supposed to be simply a delivery system for great music and good preaching. It's not supposed to be an aggregation of strangers who gather to worship because they happen to like what happens in a church on a Sunday morning. It's supposed to be a community of people who know and love one another, and who have decided to be a part of that particular people. Church is not supposed to be an event; it is supposed to be a community.

So while we recognize the presence of the Lord and the goodness of Austin Stone, it wasn't our church, and it wasn't our people. It was our son and his family's church. And we missed College Church, both the people and the place.

So we are looking forward to being with our church family and experiencing the familiar presence of the Lord with the community that calls itself College Church.

We are so glad we have the resources to extend this community to those who worship online. You can find our service on our app or by clicking any of the links below.

See you Sunday! It will be good to be with the Lord and with His particular people at College Church.

Pastor Mark