What can I bring on Sunday?

“What can I bring?”

This is the most popular question asked after inviting someone over to our house dinner. Sometimes it’s muttered with a sense of obligation, sometimes excitedly with curiosity of the menu, and sometimes there’s a genuine desire to bring more than yourself to the table with friends! Many of you have asked that very question after I’ve invited you over to our house. If you have asked us you’ve gotten one of a few answers. Sometimes its:

• Bring yourself

• You can bring _______

• Bring what you want- I’m not sure what we are cooking yet, but I know we want you there!

Good story Kevin. Why you posting it? Here’s why.

As we start our Sunday gatherings back up, you are invited back to the proverbial table of shared worship. Sundays are moments to reorient in God’s story, be reminded of God’s Gospel, and experience the very presence of God himself. If you are asking “what can I bring” or “how can I come with more than myself to receive what others bring” here are a few thoughts.

First off I have to say, you are welcome even if you can’t bring anything more than yourself right now. This is true at my dining room table and its true of our gatherings. Friends who barely make it out the door are still welcome to enjoy a meal and are not second class citizens at my table or the table of God! I’ll say it again for those in the back: If you are struggling and barely making it to the gathering emotionally or physically, this is not a demand to do more to earn your spot.

Bring your tired self to the table, find rest, and then when you are rested jump into the shared work.

However, many of us have something to bring with us- we just didn’t know it was needed.

Over the last year a few people have been doing most the work and it’s been a joy to serve, but I’m thinking we could do better with more of us participating. I’m willing to admit that may be on us. We haven’t really asked many things specifically, but let people come forward as they had the desire.  We didn’t want to burn anyone out. We know that a life following Jesus in a world that denies him can be exhausting enough. But in not asking we not only limited the potential of burn out (which surprisingly we find other ways to do anyway by overworking- without a heavy church calendar) we also unfortunately limited the ways that you contribute the shared worship times on Sundays!

As we look into this summer and beyond, consider this the first of several asks. Take a moment and consider if you have the bandwidth (the time and space to serve) and the skills needed to help Missio continue to flourish. We’d love to work together with you discern how you can help serve Jesus by serving his family on Sundays weekly, monthly or bi-monthly. 

So…what do you want to do? Are there gifts that you have that you can share with us in our gathered worship on Sundays? 

A few ways that you can help if you have the bandwidth and the abilities: Click any of the links below to take the next step in using what God’s given you for the benefit of the whole body! (click any that you feel you can contribute to.)

• Are you an artist that would love to collaborate with prophetic art installations? 

• Would you consider Missio Mesa your church, but don’t give financially? Let’s change that.

• Do you know how to lead worship and want to see if your gift could meet needs we have? We are always looking to diversify voices that help lead us in musical worship. 

• Are you a musician who wants to encourage our family in music and songs as part of the band? 

• Do you love leading kids to experience the love of God and know their place in God’s story? 

• Do your fingers work and you can show up at 3.30 on Sundays once a month? 

• Do you enjoy publicly reading Scripture, prayers, and would like to try leading the liturgy?

• Can you move chairs, set up communion table and cultivate a welcoming environment for fellow disciples to gather and experience the presence of God? 

• Do you feel like God regularly gives you experiences that you’d like to share with the entire family?

• Do you like to create and sustain databases? 

• Would you like to be the point person for scheduling and/or overseeing the physical space on Sundays? 

Have another idea? Let us know!