A church fall kickoff -- should we or shouldn't we?

Not long ago I was talking with some Sanctuary leaders about what our church should do to mark the beginning of the fall season. "Are we going to have a fall kickoff?", someone asked. It was a natural question. September is almost here, and the season will change from summer (the season of vacationing and recreation) to fall (digging in with church and school again).

The group of us talked together about what a "fall kickoff" represents: church programs, marketing, and often a big dog-and-pony show. We agreed that isn't what we want. What to do then?

We liked the idea of marking the change of season, but we wanted to be faithful to what Sanctuary is all about. We have jokingly talked about having a "Fall Un-Kickoff" that is not intended to generate excitement for church programs but rather be a celebration of our core commitments as a church:

  • Loving God: a day of worship on the first weekend of the Un-Kickoff
  • Loving one another: a celebration for the Sanctuary community on the second weekend 
  • Loving the world: an evening of eating, playing, worshiping, and meeting new people in a local park (most likely Ninos Park where the GreenHouse Christian Community Center is) on the third weekend

So we are not doing a Fall Kickoff (a major marketing push to generate interest in church programs) or even a Fall Squib Kick (promoting church programs but in a small and low-key way). Instead, we are having a seasonal celebration that reminds us and allows us to practice important truths. That's a scriptural thing to do. Whatever we end up calling this fall celebration, I am looking forward to it!

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