Gatherings
Come Together
Whether coming together for a Beatles’ concert, a baseball game, or a presidential political rally, humans seem to have the need to occasionally clump up to form a crowd. Plus-size groups pulse with enthusiasm and power. Crowds can do what no individual can do very well alone: they can roar, they can stomp, they can chant, and they can ‘do the wave.’
When followers of Jesus show up in big ways or in big spaces, they too display excitement and energy. This is not a new phenomenon. Immediately after the Resurrection of Jesus, people began coming together in big numbers, not only by the hundreds but by the thousands. It was in these large groups that they listened intently to the eyewitnesses of Jesus’ death and Resurrection. Here they came to know first-hand the power of the Holy Spirit. Many were touched deeply in these settings, turned away from their sins, and were baptized into the name of Jesus. As the early church took form, the believers continued to gather daily in large numbers in the public setting of the Jerusalem temple, while also gathering together privately in their homes, “... praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:46-47).
Somewhat like the Church described in the book of Acts, ACTS Church Lakeway shows up throughout homes and neighborhoods and coffee shops and schools every day of the week. Each weekend, however, the people who make up ACTS come together for a large-group Gathering. This is an essential part of our life together. It is a visible public expression of the Transformation we have gone through - and continue to experience - in Jesus. Our weekend services typically include music, story, teaching, sacrifice, prayer and a changing menu of interactive elements. (You can explore further how God uses the strong metaphors of meal and water within the local church.) Our Gatherings are an energetic celebration of the power of God, alive within us. Yet they also provide a regular invitation for our Guests to explore the passion, peace, confidence, and belonging that can be found in Christ.
Every couple of months or so, the people of ACTS and friends come together for special Gatherings. These family-friendly events are an un-distilled celebration of our life together. Although our weekly Gatherings always involve food, these seasonal blowouts do it up big, with food, drink, decorations, and a little friendly competition on occasion: Chilli Cook-off, Wurstfest, Christmas Eve Feast, Confirmation, Vacation Bible School, a periodic album release party... the list is limited only by the creativity and energy of those who (like Jesus) appreciate the value of a good party.