Message from Elders
Dear brother or sister,
As we enter into the wet and gray Seattle fall and winter, Sideris hopes to phase in an in-person, indoor service option for those who are ready and comfortable. We know some have questions behind this decision, so as a member of the senior leadership team at Sideris, I wanted to share some of the reasoning behind this decision. After hosting outdoor services this summer, we feel affirmed that continuing to provide in-person services will allow us to fulfill our mission to love one another and our city by providing encouragement and spiritual nourishment to our brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as making the good news of Jesus available to with our greater Seattle community in these trying times.
Encouraging and Strengthening the Family
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:23–25
The author of Hebrews believed it was essential for the church to meet together in all circumstances. The author wrote his letter to an audience who knew suffering, for at the time, to be a Christian meant risking persecution. Knowing the risk that Christians would need to take to meet together, the author still urges them to do so. Why? Because the author knew that there was value to be gained by the gathering of believers, as it provided hope and encouragement to them.
2020 is a year that has been marked by suffering and loss. Yet over the last few months, we have seen the fruit from our outdoor services. Nobody will say that meeting in a parking lot that smells of hamburgers is glamorous, but even in such an environment, we have heard how people have found joy in being able to come together and worship with fellow believers. We have seen people share words of encouragement to one another to help them through this season. The church gathering has also acted as a visual reminder that we can put our hope in a God who is faithful. Therefore, we believe that as the weather changes, we should find a way to continue to provide a space for the body of Christ to find hope and encouragement through in-person gathering.
Meeting the Disconnected & Seeking with the Gospel
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Mathew 5:14-16
In an amazing statement, Jesus, who also refers to himself as “the light of the world” in John 8:12, calls his followers “the light of the world.” In doing so, Jesus puts an enormous responsibility on the church to show the world who God is. This is a responsibility that should be taken very seriously. While the gathering of saints in a local expression is just part of what Jesus is talking about in the Sermon on the Mount, we believe that finding safe and viable ways to gather physically makes the light of the gospel more visible to those in Seattle whom God is drawing to Himself to receive His promises.
In full transparency, if you had asked me a month ago, I would have been apprehensive about hosting services indoors, but over the last few weeks, God has started to change my perspective. As I have attended our outdoor services, I have been surprised by the number of new faces who have found their way to our church. Neighbors have come outside to stand and listen to our songs of worship. People who have been grabbing lunch at Dick’s have taken the few steps over to our parking lot to hear the messages we have been sharing. Some of these people have shared with me personally how the events of this year have caused them to start exploring Christianity, leading them to search for a church they could start attending.
The conversations I have had with these people has shown me that God is softening the hearts of many in our city and He is sending them to our church to hear the gospel. As long as God continues to do this, we should continue to provide safe spaces for them to consider Jesus and engage with God’s family. Eternal realities are at play alongside the temporal.
So What Is Next?
This decision was a tough one. The senior leadership team at Sideris spent hours praying about this decision, listening to members of our community, and debating whether or not we should take this step. These conversations have been humbling. Our ability to fully care for people’s spiritual health and physical health can seem to be at odds, but we recognize that there is never going to be a perfect response in these imperfect times.
For the reasons above, we have chosen to move forward with carefully phasing in an indoor service option. We have developed a plan that meets all government guidelines and ensures a safe environment for our guests. Even so, in an abundance of caution we have decided to also gradually phase into this transition to ensure things go smoothly by
Starting with just 30 out of the possible 50 attendees (increasing as we feel it is safe).
Starting by meeting every other week to give us time to debrief and reassess (moving to every week if and when we feel it is safe).
We also know that there will still be those who will choose to attend online for the foreseeable future, and we want to continue to make sure that all those who choose that option are cared for. As such, over the next couple of weeks, the leadership team is dedicated to experimenting with new ways to re-energize the community feel of our online worship services. We believe, with your help, that we can make this experience more communal, so that people who worship at home can experience as much connection to the body of Christ as possible.
My prayer is that all would approach this upcoming season with grace and love. We anticipate that there will continue to be questions and concerns regarding this decision and I’d be happy to listen to any concerns and answer any questions that arise. Feel free to reach out to me directly.
Grace and peace,
Ben Thompson, Elder