by Phil T. Arnold
“Busy summer schedules may keep New Covenant Christian Church members away from worship some Sundays, but they no longer have to miss out on communion or a message from their minister….the northwest Oklahoma City congregation is offering ‘Church to Go’.” Just when you think you’ve heard it all, there is was on the front page of the Daily Oklahoman – “Church to Go.” What is “Church to Go”? It is a white foam carryout box containing a pre-packaged substitute for worshipping with a church on the Lord’s Day. The box contains a cassette tape of their minister speaking and a member singing, a 4.23-ounce carton of grape juice, six plastic communion cups and an equal number of tiny white pellets representing(?) bread. Of course, there is also included a self-addressed envelope ready for the members to mail in an offering.
The “Church to Go” was designed by the Reverend(?) Tim Pool to accommodate their absentee members during their “busy summer schedules.” Their concern is to help “people to stay connected to the church and to God” during the summer and thus be more likely to return to services in the Fall when their schedules are less hectic. It was explained that the “Church to Go” was to be used as a family was driving to a ball game or some other outing. They could listen to the tape and then stop their car on the side of the road and take communion. Just a couple of minutes and they could be back on the road headed for the diamond and the really important business of the day.
Does anybody see anything wrong with this? I would hope so! This is suppose to keep people’s commitment(?) fresh on their minds while they put everything but worshipping God first in their lives during the summer.
Hopefully each of us can take warning concerning such attitudes as we choose our priorities and make plans for our busy summer schedules. Will we plan our vacations and travels so that we will be able to worship in an assembly of the Lord’s church on the Lord’s Day? Will we decide that anywhere the name “church of Christ” appears on the building will be sufficient or will we seek to find a church of faithful brethren with which to worship? How different is this practice that we would find so objectionable to brethren who have planned to turn the Lord’s Day service into a matter of convenience to fit in with their travels? Some would simply worship together as a family or with other Christians they are traveling with and make no effort to worship with the Lord’s people where they are traveling.
I must agree with one point the article made. More churches will probably want to follow this example and produce their own “Church to Go” for their own members. They may have to change a few things to meet their particular denominational cus-toms, but I am sure that none will forget to include a self-addressed contribution envelope. Unfortunately, some of our brethren may not be far behind in seeing the “benefit” of such a practice.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
- Hebrews 10:25
