Easter 2020: April 12, 9:00 & 10:30am
Join us from around the city as we celebrate Easter together in our homes! Services are designed for the whole family!
Good Friday 2020: April 10, 6:00pm
Come be a part as we celebrate our freedom from the curse of sin through the death of Christ. Service is family friendly!
Be Doxology This Easter
This unusual season has many people looking for answers to life’s deepest questions and wondering if there is any hope. In the week leading up to Easter, we're going to show them how Christ has impacted our lives. Click to learn how!
#JesusChangedMyLife
Together. In 3 Places.
At long last we are ready and excited to begin taking steps toward regathering in our building. We know everyone won’t be ready for that at the same time. That’s why, in the days ahead there will be 3 places to worship on Sunday. All 3 reflect non-negotiable values of Doxology. So pick the one you need for now, and make it great.
In Our Building: Incarnational (in-the-flesh) in-person corporate worship is the ideal. It always has been. Even though a more full expression of “one body” isn’t possible for all of us yet, some of us are ready and able to begin blazing the trail as we take some measured steps toward that day. Beginning June 14th we’ll have one live, in-person whole family worship service at 10:00am in our building. It will be in full compliance with government recommendations as well as the advice of medical professionals we’ve consulted. More information on the specifics of that to come so keep your eyes open. Space will be limited. We plan to add other times as necessary. RSVP for a service below!
In Community: Some of us aren’t ready for that kind of gathering but are able to take a different “in-person” step. A few of us are ready for the larger gathering but realize we’re in perfect position to host an in-person gathering for our community group or neighbors in our backyard, on a patio, or even in our home. For the foreseeable future, we’re planning to continue to produce an online gathering that is identical in content to the service in our building but filmed with these gatherings in mind. This could be an unbelievably strategic way to “be Doxology” on location in your neighborhood.
In Your Home: Some of us cannot (and frankly should not) attend either of the above two gatherings. If you find yourself in the “vulnerable” category, we’re not interested in leaving you behind. You can expect us to continue with the same level of quality and experience you’ve been enjoying while we’ve been worshipping at home for as long as that remains the wisest choice for many of us. In fact, we’re continuing to look for innovative and wise ways to step-up our care for you and ensure your needs are met during this extended season.
The only bad option is the “no option” option! The Bible doesn’t give us a ton of specific advice for what it has to look like as we face unprecedented times like these, but it is crystal clear about one thing: “Don’t give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encourage one another – and all the more as you see [even harder times] coming” (Hebrews 10:25). Pick the place you need for now, and make it great!
See you soon!
Chris
In-Building Safety Precautions
We can’t wait to see you in-person as soon as you’re ready. For now, here are 4 really important things to remember about what to expect when you show up. They were written by a pastor, so they all begin with “S.”
Spaced Out: God has blessed us with a large auditorium, and we’re going to us it all.
Sanitary: Of course, no place on earth has ever been able to promise 100% safety but we’re committed to getting as close as we can on Sundays.
Sacrificial: This is already built into our DNA as Doxology. We do church as a family. When we decided to scatter, it was in response to the question “What does love require of me?” We’re expecting to re-gather in the same posture: open-handed, flexible, and attentive to the sensitivities of others around us; not just our own.
Significant: We are committed to making sure when you get in your car to leave on a Sunday, you say “I’m so glad I came today.” Even though things will look and feel a bit different than they did when we left, there is no reason it should be any less significant. What we do isn’t limited even if how we do it needs to have some limits for now. Come prepared and expecting to be a part of something significant. Worship always is.
For Those Who Have RSVP'd
Weekly Resources
This season we are all navigating uncharted territory, and there is ground to take! Opportunities will arise to love our neighbors, families, and communities in ways that have never been presented to us before. Below are five areas of strategic focus that we hope engage throughout this next season, as well as daily devotional. Check out each of these for ways you can care for yourself and your family, serve our community, and stay connected!
**NEW CONTENT FOR WEEK OF AUGUST 9TH**
Worship
If you are unable to attend in-person, we will be worshiping together all across our city! Join us Sundays at 9:00 or 10:30am via our online service!
online service
Prayer
Join us for our monthly Zoom online prayer gathering on the first Thursday of the month at 9am! This is a 30 minute time of encouragement and prayer, as we pray together and for each other. You can find the zoom link for the online prayer gathering this week through the link below. We hope to see you there!
prayerAugust 6 zoom link
Care/Community
This season has exposed many of our own vulnerabilities and lack of control. God's solution is never to try and overcome and fix it on our own. Check out this week's resources for ways to get connected!
CARE/Community
Parent Resources
Check out this week’s resources to facilitate meaningful conversations with your family and have some fun! Play Spicy UNO with your High schooler or Middle Schooler and talk about current music!
parent resourcesWant to keep the kids busy and engaged during the Sunday morning service? Check out these activities including coloring sheets, discussion guides, and more! UPDATED EVERY FRIDAY.
Sunday parent guide
Helping Neighborhoods Thrive
“This was the easiest neighborhood party that I have ever thrown!” This is likely the party that your neighbors are just waiting for your invitation! Read Gary’s story here!
NeiGhborhoods thriving
Daily Devotionals Through the Psalms
Seasons of uncertainty are ever present throughout Scripture. Join us as we journey through the Psalms together with our daily devotionals. New devotionals will be posted daily.
daily devotionalsThis is a season of navigating uncharted territory, and there is ground to take! Opportunities will arise to love our neighbors, families, and communities in ways that have never been presented to us before. Below are five areas of strategic focus that we hope to engage in throughout the coming weeks. Check out each of these for ways you can get involved.
This is an all church update
This is a children's update
This is Youth update
This is a college update
This is a women's update
This is a CG update
This is a mobilization update
This is a YA update
This is a care ministry update
I cant wait to say “It’s good to see you this week” to even more of you next week! We got to worship live this weekend in backyards and front yards of a few Doxology families who invited us to be a part of their neighborhood Memorial Day plans. It was great to see a bunch of us in person but only made me thirstier for a day when we can all be back together again.
Next week will be a first step for a bunch of us and I’m really, really excited about it. If you’re not able or ready to join us in person, we’ll produce the live stream services as usual for you at 9:00 and 10:30am. If you’re able to join us next Sunday, the service will be right in the middle of those at 10am (sleep late and still beat the heat). And please remember: even though we don’t have limited capacity for that service we do need you to RSVP so we can plan wisely. You can do that below.
Go and be Doxology!
Chris
Doxology Family,
Like I told you in my email on Sunday, we’re continuing to evaluate data and have conversations with medical professionals and government authorities concerning when we might be able to regather together in-person. Based on their recommendation we still don’t believe it will be wise or strategic to regather in our building until at least June 6th. However, we do have some ideas that are consistent with their recommendations that provide a way for some of us to begin taking steps toward re-gathering all together again.
We’re planning to continue the online worship services just as they are for the foreseeable future since we know some of us won’t be ready for in-person gatherings for a while. We’re not going to leave you behind!
Can’t wait to “see” you on Sunday. We’re beginning a brand new series through the book of James called “Anything But Normal: Finding a Faith that Stands Out.” If you wonder if the book has anything to say to us and our situation, read the first verse. See you there. And hopefully in person very soon.
Go and Be Doxology!
Chris
Doxology Family,
After the announcement this afternoon by Governor Abbott, many of you (I hope) are wondering what that means for us gathering together again in person on Sundays. I cannot wait for us to be together again and am incredibly grateful that it seems like we might finally be able to see that day from here, but it needs to not be this Sunday.
Many businesses will be re-opening on Friday because they must in order to accomplish their mission. We certainly affirm that some level of good business is a part of God’s plan for a flourishing city. However, we also recognize that there’s a level of ongoing risk to the vulnerable in our society presented by any large gathering of people. At Doxology we realize that as important as our gathering is, and as much as we long for it, it isn’t strictly required for us to fulfill our mission. So, for now, we are going to choose to sacrifice what we are allowed to do for the good of our city and the flourishing of our neighbors. Meanwhile, we’ll continue doing what we must do in order to be faithful to who we are: worshipping where we are and loving where we live.
That’s not to say “same ole same ole” this week! Although we don’t believe large-group worship gatherings are the best way for us to “be Doxology” toward our city right now, we do have some creative, safe, and socially distant ideas for how some community groups might decide to begin meeting in-person again; for you to be the best neighbors on your block; and even for how some of us might be able to host a small group of neighbors, coworkers or friends to worship together as a smaller group on Sunday. We’ll share those with you later this week and keep you updated on other plans as they continue to develop.
All that to say, let’s choose to “be Doxology” more than ever this week. In the things we sacrifice and the opportunities we seize, showing and telling who Jesus is and what He’s like is as important this week as it has ever been. Let’s make the most of it.
Chris
Doxology,
It’s hard to believe it has only been 14 days since we decided to invite ourselves into your living room on Sunday mornings. If your experience has anything like mine, these 2 weeks seem like they’ve been strangest, craziest, sweetest, hardest, worst, best twenty years of your life!
We’re continuing to listen to local and federal officials for any hint of when we’ll be able to gather together in person again. For right now that date still seems over the horizon. So, we are currently anticipating no large-group in-person gatherings until at least the middle of April. Yes, that means both Good Friday and Easter will be online gatherings this year. Although they will look different from what we’re all used to, I’m confident you won’t want to miss either one. And on the bright side: this year may be the year your family or neighbors are more open to the Good Friday and Easter message than ever before.
A few other things to communicate with you:
We will continue keep you in the loop in the days ahead. Please know that you’ve been prayed for by name this week. We miss you terribly, but I’m so proud to be watching and hearing stories of you “being Doxology” in the places you’re placed today. Like Paul told the Galatians: “Don’t grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a great harvest if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9). Don’t. Give. Up!
Go and be Doxology!!
Chris
Doxology,
There’s a story about Lewis and Clark, the two explorers sent by President Thomas Jefferson to find a river passage from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. They were chosen specifically because of their background: they were experts at canoeing and exploring rivers. One evening, they believed they’d found the passage. One of them wrote in their diary something to the effect of “Tonight I took a big, long, gulp from the headwaters of the river that we’ve been searching for. Tomorrow morning when the fog lifts, we’ll continue on our way and our canoes will get us to the Pacific Ocean before long.” Instead, the next morning when the fog lifted, they got their first glimpse of the Rocky Mountains. At that moment, they had two decisions: (1) Pack it in and go home, (2) Figure out how to canoe the mountains.
We’re taking the mountains.
Here’s what the mountain range looks like, at least for today: We will not be hosting any in-person gatherings on Doxology campus until at least March 30th. Our offices are open virtually (phones and emails still work), but the building is closed during the week physically.
I know that raises a billion questions for some of you. The short answer to most of them is, “We’re not sure yet.” We’ve never climbed this mountain before. But here’s what I am absolutely sure of: God is at work, this is an incredible opportunity, and we were made for this.
Our staff met most of the day yesterday and again this morning. There are 5 things we’re committed to being extraordinary at in the days ahead even if we don’t (or can’t) do anything else:
Prayer – If you listened to the message Sunday, that was Jesus’ priority when the need got bigger and nearer.
Worship – We’re going to continue to worship together in our living rooms on Sundays at 9:00am and 10:30am. We’re planning with the whole family in mind from the music through the message. You’ll find a link to the service at www.doxology.church/live
Pastoral Care – We know there will be real, tangible needs we can meet for each other and for our city. I’ve been in contact with the FWISD and City officials. They’re canoeing a mountain right now too and have all said one of the worst things churches are doing right now is “helping” them in ways they haven’t requested it. So we’re waiting on them, ready to mobilize as soon as the phone rings.
See Neighborhoods Thrive – One of the city council members told me this morning “The most helpful thing a church can do right now is have people take care of the people who live in their neighborhoods. This crisis gives us an opportunity to lean-in to what we’re best at. We’re working on some strategies for how to do that wisely and effectively, but don’t wait on us to check on the people near you.
Seize the Season for Families – There is absolutely no reason families shouldn’t look back on this season as one of the most spiritually significant seasons of their family’s life. We know that won’t happen by accident but are working on ways for it to be fun, intentional and accessible. Stay tuned.
We’re committed to communicating well without barraging you with emails. For now, grab some climbing shoes. Trust me: the view from the top of these mountains is going to be worth it.
For today: The people in your life have never needed to know and see a real-deal Jesus follower as much as they do today. Go and be Doxology!
Chris
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