From Your Pastor

Brian Lays

Dear Riversiders:

As summer draws to a close and fall routines begin again, I’d like to encourage you all to set an intentional tone for your church involvement this year. Rally Day will be August 20, when we will launch our new Sunday School classes for the year and break in the remodeled youth suite on the 3rd floor of the education building. There will be something for everyone!

The most common reflection I hear about post-pandemic church is that it is difficult to “get back into the habit” of coming to church every week. It makes good sense—so much of our lives are habitual, and we depend on the habits we form to guide our repetitive behaviors so that we don’t have to think too hard about them.

It doesn’t sound too “spiritual,” but coming to church (or watching online) really is something that engaged members “just do.” I remember this expectation in my family growing up. Whether it was a busy weekend or a quiet weekend, whether my parents were teaching Sunday School that week or not, no matter who was preaching, if it was Sunday morning, we were going to church. There was no decision to make every Saturday night before bed.

Of course, life can get complicated. Schedules are busy, and few organizations respect and protect the sanctity of Sunday morning anymore. But the world around us isn’t going to encourage us to stay engaged with our faith— it’s a priority we must nurture and insist on for ourselves. And for Christians in a post-pandemic world, church attendance is a spiritual practice that must be resolutely reestablished and rebuilt.

Your faithful presence at Riverside is not only a good thing for yourself and your family (though it certainly is that!). It’s easy to forget that the rest of our community benefits from your presence, too. I’ve often heard our longtime members reflect on how close-knit and caring a congregation Riverside is. This sort of ethos didn’t come out of nowhere. It came about because people showed up for one another, again and again, week after week, year after year. When such a foundation has been laid, it’s almost second nature that when someone faces a challenging time, others rally around them with support and care.

The next generation of Riversiders desires (and needs) this same sort of community. Your presence at church is always a blessing, on any given Sunday. We cannot be the best version of who we are without you!

So, join us on Rally Day this year, and keep the rally going week after week as we worship, learn, and serve together!

Grace and peace,

Brian