We say we start church at “10ish.” And honestly, I like this. I like the laid back way of getting things going around 10:10-10:15. It feels relaxed and casual, which is definitely the vibe we are trying to foster on Sunday mornings. And I know you like it, too, because the sanctuary is relatively empty at 9:57. People start to trickle in after 10 and we hit critical mass at about 10:10 typically, which is about the time we begin our announcements. A few more folks will arrive right up until about 10:30, usually. On one hand, this is all fine and dandy if everyone in the community is on the same wave length and understands the very relaxed start time of our Sunday morning services. 

And here, my friends, lies the rub.

Not everyone is on the same wavelength. I’m thinking, in particular, of new people visiting or exploring our community for the first time. And who could possibly fault them? We advertise for 10am start and so guess when these people show up to church? Yeeeeeeah…. ~9:55. Which is normal and totally reasonable. And time after time they’ll ask me, “Uh oh… did we get the start time wrong for this service?” to which I always respond, “Well, see, it’s more like 10ish start time… people will start to come in over the next 10-15 minutes.” For most people it’s not a big deal but if you’re exploring church for the first time or considering coming back to church after a long time away, it can be nerve-wracking to sit there in the chairs all alone, waiting for things to get started.

So I think we need to change this for the sake of anyone new who’s considering Grassroots (AND for the sake of those who roll their eyes at our “10ish” start time and are hoping for a more punctual start. I see you, Bill and Wendy 😉). So here’s what I propose we begin to do – beginning this Sunday, instead of a 10:10 actual start, let’s shave 5 minutes off and begin at 10:05. And then the following week, we shave another 5 minutes and actually start at 10:00am sharp. And then we carry on as best we can with a 10am sharp start. It’s ambitious, I know. Maybe too ambitious, in fact. No worries – we might have to adjust this along the way but I believe our goal should for sure be to eventually, consistently, regularly, predictably actually start our services at 10am. Coolio?! Coolio. 

You got this, church fam! I’ll see you Sunday. 10:05 sharp.