We recently unveiled Vernon Alliance’s new vision to see the church, the Okanagan, and the world fully alive in Jesus. In Fall 2023, we detailed our intention to bring the life of Jesus by building communities, equipping believers, mobilizing the church for the mission, and facilitating God-encounters. As we pursue this new vision in 2024, we are making some bold changes to how we function as the church.
CONSIDERING OUR FUTURE, WE ARE ADDING A SUNDAY SERVICE AND DISCONTINUING THE SATURDAY SERVICE IN JUNE 2024
Our conclusion, after evaluating our programs and rhythms, is that we are overly focused on the delivery of weekend services at the expense of initiatives directed at discipleship and mission. Moving away from Saturday nights will give us the freedom to prioritize new ways of being the church.
THIS IS NOT A CHANGE BASED SOLELY ON NUMBERS OR ENGAGEMENT, BUT RATHER REFLECTS A SHIFT IN OUR VISION TO EMPHASIZE DISCIPLESHIP AND MISSION BEYOND WEEKEND SERVICES
In the late ‘90s, Vernon Alliance’s single Sunday service was growing rapidly. To accommodate further growth, families were challenged to consider changing their weekend routines to help launch a new evening service. Dozens accepted the challenge, and the Saturday night service was born! By the early 2000s, a second Saturday night and a second Sunday morning service were also needed! Although times and attendance patterns have changed, our reflexes to adapt and act strategically have not. We acknowledge and celebrate all that God has done for more than 25 years! Over the next few months, we want to hear the stories of Saturday’s impact and recognize how important it has been to a generation at Vernon Alliance.
We’ve grown to capacity on Sunday, leaving us with a wonderful problem—we are too full! There is also an increasing demand for kids programming on Sunday mornings, which Saturday nights have failed to address. Our two Sunday services will double our capacity to engage our kids and their families. The data also shows that demand for Saturday services has been declining for more than 10 years. Since 2014, Saturday night attendance has shrunk each year up until 2019. Following the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been attendance ups and downs, but the overall trend of decline continues.
By moving away from Saturday nights, we free up the church (congregants, volunteers, and staff) to increase our commitment on Sunday mornings and focus on new engagements that mobilize us to be the church in the community. Additionally, we open up a day of the week where you can connect with others, grow your faith, and serve your community.
Our vision and mission highlight the need to bring the life of Jesus not just to the church but also to the Okanagan and beyond. While services are critical to our mission to “equip for life” and “facilitate God encounters,” following Jesus is much more than coming to a service on the weekend. Focusing our corporate worship-life to one day/week makes us more agile and adaptive and creates more capacity to reach people who aren’t primarily looking for a church service.
April 6 & 7
Public Communication: Our Lead Pastor, Jason, will lead the congregation through our decision to move away from Saturday night services. An online form will be provided to formally receive feedback and provide opportunities for follow-up.
Saturday, May 25
Celebration BBQ and Ending: We will celebrate all that God has done over the past 3 decades at our final Saturday night service, which will include a meal, worship, and stories.
June 2 - Ongoing
Normalizing: We will host two services on Sunday throughout the summer, allowing us to establish new rhythms for our church and staff. These will become our ongoing rhythms for the fall and beyond.
Will our sanctuary be big enough to hold the people from Saturday moving to Sunday?
Yes. We don’t yet need three services. With two services, our capacity allows us to comfortably hold 1000 people plus 200 children in our classrooms. This means we are fully capable of absorbing Saturday night attendees into the sanctuary on Sunday mornings with plenty of room to grow.
Will there be Kids ministry at both Sunday services?
We will provide kids ministry during both of our services.
How was this decision made?
This decision was made after prayerful consideration over the past year by the Board of Elders and Lead Team and by considering the data collected from a survey in 2023 and in consultation with ministry leaders.
How can I give feedback?
Please communicate with us by clicking the button below.
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