-THE BIG QUESTION-
WHY ARE WE OFFERING TWO SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP GATHERINGS?
The decision to expand our ministry in this way has not been taken lightly. The leadership of Tree City Church has been in prayer and discussion about this for over a year. God has blessed our church family by allowing us to grow in number as well as in depth – we like to say that we are growing wide AND deep! The decision to expand our ministry in this way has not been taken lightly.
In the last two and a half years, our church family has nearly doubled, we are welcoming new guests each week, our children and youth ministries are thriving, discipleship classes and small groups continue to be filled up, financial giving with a "Get to Give" attitude has increased significantly, and 100 people have confessed Jesus as Lord through Baptism - just to name a few things! God is doing this and we get to be a part of it!
As our church has grown, the most common question we get asked (nearly weekly) is, “When will we start having two services?” We have felt the nudging to expand in this way for quite some time, but have been leaning on God’s leading and timing for our church to take this opportunity.
There are many reasons why we believe this is the next step God is asking us to take. Our main purpose for expanding is because this will help us increase our ability to point people to Jesus and inspire them to become a part of that mission. Here are a few ways we believe offering two Sunday morning worship gatherings will help us better accomplish our mission:
AT THE HEART OF THIS DECISION IS A DESIRE TO SEE EVEN MORE PEOPLE MEET, LOVE, AND SERVE JESUS. People who call Tree City Church their home love their church and are inviting friends and family each week – keep it up! Your faithfulness in pointing people to Jesus is paying off as more and more people become a part of the mission. In addition, the growth rate of the Treasure Valley is unbelievable. In 2016, the population of the Valley was 689,000. In 2023, the projected growth will have reached one million with Ada County being by far the fastest growing (bvep.org). That is 311,000 people moving into the Valley along with the many already here who need to be reached with the Gospel of Jesus. Tree City Church is uniquely positioned, both in calling and in location, to be a growing church. We need to ready ourselves for who God continues to bring into our church family.
THIS DECISION HELPS US BETTER SERVE AND LOVE OUR TREE CITY CHURCH KIDS. A large percentage of our growth includes young families with children. Many of our classrooms have reached capacity and beyond. Overcrowding is not beneficial to our children or the leaders who lovingly serve them. Creating another opportunity will create more space, again allowing for growth to continue while deepening the ways in which children can learn and grow in a safe and healthy environment. We also believe this transition will inspire more people to serve the growing need within our children’s ministry.
MORE PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO SERVE AND NOT MISS THE WORSHIP GATHERING. On any given Sunday, we have over 100 people serving in some capacity within our ministries. Each month, around 100 people faithfully serve our children, many of whom miss our worship gathering more than twice a month. We are a serving church with the expectation that each person is needed in order for us to achieve our mission. As we grow, more and more of us need to step up and become a part of the calling we have to point people to Jesus and inspire them to become a part of that mission. Adding another worship gathering on a Sunday morning will allow more people to serve and still join a worship gathering on the same Sunday. A culture of “Serve One Attend One” will become a part of the fabric of Tree City Church.
-FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS-
WHAT ARE THE NEW SERVICE TIMES?
December 3rd will be our first Sunday morning offering two worship gatherings. Our new morning worship gathering times will be 9:30am and 11:00am. Our services will be 65-70 minutes in length with 20-25 minutes between services.
WILL OUR MORNING WORSHIP GATHERINGS FEEL OR LOOK DIFFERENT?
No. Our Sunday morning worship gatherings will remain the same. The two gatherings will be identical. We are excited and motivated by what God is doing in our worship gatherings. We will remain focused on sincere worship through music, Scripture, biblical teaching, communion, baptisms, and church family milestones such as membership and child dedications. Other worship gatherings will continue to include our bi-monthly Sunday Night Church and special events (check out our current events for specific dates).
WILL MINISTRY BE OFFERED FOR OUR CHILDREN (Birth-Grade 6) DURING BOTH MORNING WORSHIP GATHERINGS?
Yes. One important reason for this transition is to create a healthier ministry for our children. To offer ministry for our children during both services, we need those who are already committed to serving our children to continue serving at a high level. We are also praying for many others to be inspired to love and serve our kids. Talk to your friends and/or family about serving alongside you!
IF I "SERVE ONE ATTEND ONE," WILL MY CHILDREN (Birth-Grade 6) EXPERIENCE THE SAME THING TWICE?
While we will offer an identical experience for children during both worship gatherings, we will have a “Bonus Room” specifically for children whose parents serve that day. This room will be monitored by trained, loving adults who will provide a safe environment for children to play and learn together. Also, children of any age are always welcome to join their parents in any of our worship gatherings.
IF I "SERVE ONE ATTEND ONE," WILL MY TEENAGER (Grade 7-12) EXPERIENCE THE SAME THING TWICE?
A core value of our ministry to young people and their families is to see each person integrated into the Body and mission of Christ. This means that we place a high value on what our young people offer as an important part of our mission as a church. From an early age, we teach the importance of serving and worship. Our hope is that the way our adults “Serve One Attend One” will be a model for our young people to do the same. We will work creatively with young people to help them find places of service that creatively use their abilities and passions to serve alongside others. Each month anywhere from 35 to 40 youth serve in a vital way during our Sunday morning worship gatherings. We love the way our young people serve!
AS A LARGER CONGREGATION, IT IS ALREADY HARD TO KNOW EVERYONE. WON'T HAVING TWO MORNING WORSHIP GATHERINGS MAKE THAT EVEN HARDER?
This is a major concern for us. The reality is that the larger the congregation, the harder it is to know everyone, even if we are in the same room at the same time. The primary purpose for our Sunday morning worship gatherings is to glorify God and grow deeper in relationship with God. Getting to be with our friends, family and community is an amazing added bonus. However, the main vehicle for Tree City Church to become community is through our Small Group gatherings. So if you are not connected to a Small Group yet, this would be a great time for you to find one. Small Groups are really where church becomes family. Our location and service times are not what make us family. Our unified worship of Jesus and shared mission is what makes us family, and that will never change! You are also encouraged to become a part of several other opportunities that provide space to get to know many others and build community. Consider mentoring opportunities or our peer group ministries such as Women’s Ministry, Men’s Ministry, 60+ Ministry, and Adult Discipleship Classes. If you would like to find out more about how to connect in any of these ways, check out our Connect page.
WILL OUR CHURCH FAMILY EVER GATHER TOGETHER AT THE SAME TIME?
YES! We already value the church family being together and this transition makes it even more important! It is critical that we continue to find ways for our whole church family to gather. Significant opportunities like our Summer River Baptisms, Wednesday night gatherings like our chili feed and caroling or Summer Family Gatherings, Ash Wednesday Service and Holy Week Services, Children’s Ministry programs, and church meals just to name a few. We don’t have all of the answers about how we can continue to focus on this value, but we are committed to remaining ONE church who happens to worship together at a variety times and in a variety of ways. Join us in praying about this! You are also encouraged to consider ways you might not otherwise jump in and become a part of an event or other gatherings such as Sunday Night Church. We gather on the second and fourth Sunday nights of each month at 6pm during the school year for a time of intergenerational discipleship and worship (check our calendar for specific dates). Mix it up with people you may not see on Sunday mornings, and there is almost always food involved!
HOW CAN I HELP?
Another great question! An ironic trend of a church growing larger is that a smaller number of people do a greater amount of work. This isn’t good! As many people as possible need to help and engage in order for us to be as effective as we can in accomplishing our mission, and this transition will provide plenty of opportunity for that. We will need more help with Tree City Church Kids, Greeters, Ushers, Baristas, Parking Lot Attendants, etc. This is what family does…family takes turns serving one another. Young, old, married, single, boys, girls – there is room for each person to help in some way.
God wants to use your gifts to serve others at Tree City Church. On a fishing boat, all hands are on deck and needed for success. On a cruise ship, the focus is on how others can serve me. This is not a cruise ship. Jesus invites us to follow him AND he will "show us how to become fishers of people." We are on a mission of pointing people to Jesus and inspiring them to become a part of that mission. There is no better way to do this than by serving one another.
If you are interested in serving our growing family, there is a simple form to fill out below. You will be contacted and followed up with by one of our ministry leaders giving you more information and answering any questions you have about serving. We are committed to equipping you in all the ways we can. Thank you for being a part of helping us make this transition as smooth as possible.
THE FINAL AND MOST IMPORTANT THING WE ASK FOR YOU TO DO IS PRAY!
Any time a significant transition takes place like this, especially when it is rooted in obedience to God, the enemy will try using it to cause division in the church. Please pray that this would not happen. Pray that God will continue to use our church in powerful ways for His glory as we point people to Jesus and inspire them to become a part of that mission. Let’s celebrate that there will now be two worship gatherings for that to take place on Sunday mornings at Tree City Church!
Keep pointing and inspiring!
Pastor Johnny, Church Board & Staff