RECESS
This summer, DOWNTOWN CHURCH is observing rest through RECESS. Whether you are an every-Sunday church goer, occasional visitor, dedicated volunteer, or paid staff member RECESS offers an active pause for you.
Follow your memory back to the sandy playground where grubby, chubby fingers gripped plastic and metal slides, dust from sidewalk chalk covered your shoes, and remember the joy of being active without structure. RECESS was the pause where you reflected on learning, made friends, and connected with your imagination. Ultimately, it's where you found rest in the change, a break from long hours sitting at your small desk.
RECESS is, essentially, a sabbath for the system. It's an invitation to embrace unstructured imaginative worship.
It shouldn't surprise you that DOWNTOWN CHURCH is trying something different We are taking a break from planning, hosting, facilitating, and executing Sunday worship for two weeks this summer. That means that we'll have no worship services on July 1 or July 8.
What are the benefits we hope to reap from this radical approach? Besides a respite for the staff and our much appreciated volunteers, we hope everyone will return from RECESS with a fresh perspective - ready to light up Sunday mornings like never before.If you want to learn more, please read the FAQ.
RECESS FAQ
What is RECESS?
This summer, DOWNTOWN CHURCH is observing rest through RECESS. Whether you are a every-Sunday church goer, occasional visitor, dedicated volunteer, or paid staff member this program is active pause is for you.
What Sundays will DOWNTOWN CHURCH be closed for worship? July 1 and July 8
What am I supposed to do to worship instead?
We know you may be into a Sunday morning groove with God that you don't want to interrupt. And we've got you covered. We're providing both more and less structured activities for you and your family to experience on both Sundays during recess that we don't have worship (July 1 and July 8). You can download liturgy and other activities here.
What am I supposed to do during RECESS?
Follow your memory back to the sandy playground where grubby, chubby fingers gripped plastic and metal slides, dust from sidewalk chalk covered your shoes, and remember the joy of being active without structure. RECESS was the pause where you reflected on learning, made friends, connected with your imagination and ultimately found rest in the change, from long hours sitting at your small desk.
Is someone tracking whether or not I participate?
No, RECESS is completely voluntary, and your participation is on the honor system.
Do I get a grade for my efforts?
No, your efforts will not be graded, no pass or fail. But you might rack up some experience points.
What will I tell my kids about not going to church for 2 weeks?
We're supporting RECESS with individual and family activities. You might use RECESS as a way to demonstrate that a relationship with God comes in all shapes and sizes. Though your family may wish to build that relationship by going to church every (or most) Sundays, it's not necessarily a requirement for communing with God.
Where will I get free coffee and cookies on Sunday mornings?
Sorry to say, you are on your own for this one. Rumor has it that Sam's Club hands out free samples on Saturday mornings.
Why are we doing this?
The purpose of RECESS is to provide the staff a respite from the planning, preparing, and executing of two Sunday worship services and all of the work that happens in between. We anticipate that this break will give you an opportunity to rest and come back renewed and refreshed.
Will we do this every year?
Whoa. Slow down. Let's just take it one year at a time. At DOWNTOWN CHURCH, we like to try new things. We also like to let go of things that aren't working, so only time will tell.
What if I visit another church and really like it?
We hope that if you visit another church that you do like it! If you see or experience things that could be additive to our experience at DOWNTOWN CHURCH, please let us know. And, let's face it: it's a risk for us. You might decide that there's another church out there that you'd like to call home. If that happens, we'll be sad to see you go. But, you know what they say about loving someone and setting them free...
What if I have a pastoral emergency during RECESS?
We'll have members of our community on call for pastoral support during RECESS.