THE GATHERING RETURNS: 1/14 – DETAILS ARE STILL COMING TOGETHER – KEEP CHECKING BACK

When people ask what Wednesday nights look like at Collierville, I tell them it feels like the church taking a deep breath together. We call the whole evening THE GATHERING because it is the one night when people arrive from every direction and settle into a shared rhythm. Some come racing in from work. Some drift in with kids in tow. Others finish a late meeting or drive across town after a long day. All of that is expected. You could say that it’s like a pattern that encourages inclusion no matter what time you show up. We have a schedule…but it’s not strict and it’s full of grace.

We serve meals in the Servery at THE TABLE from 5 until just after 6:15pm because most families rarely manage to show up at the same time. A meal worth sharing always leaves room for latecomers. You can walk in at 5:03 or 5:58 and still find a place to sit, eat, and catch up with the church family.

The story of the night works because it has a simple next step. When the meal starts to wind up for most people around 5:45, the first round of THE GROUPS begins. You see teachers heading to their advanced class, beginners finding their footing in SOUL SIPS, and folks sliding into STUDY WITH A PASTOR for a deeper dive. Kids move to THE ISLAND for the music and activities station, and youth head upstairs to THE LOFT for worship and fellowship. Working moms arrive right about then, plate in hand, ready for MOM TRIBE.

It feels a little like watching a small town shift from the town square to the front porches. Everyone knows where to go because the evening has a natural flow.

At 6:45 the rhythm of this story turns the next page. Children head to the second half of THE ISLAND, where activities become lessons about following Jesus. Youth stay rooted upstairs in THE LOFT and switch to their own small groups. ADULT CHOIR begins, with students becoming singers after sitting in on one of the Bible Studies. DAD TRIBE gathers and engages in covenant discipleship. MOM TRIBE kicks into high gear and the conversations become even more powerful. The building feels alive but not scattered.

The pattern is simple enough that newcomers can follow it, and steady enough that returning families can trust how the night will unfold. The older Methodist churches used to tell stories about how Wednesday nights held the whole congregation together. In a different era, it kept small towns centered. Here it keeps us anchored in a world that constantly pulls us apart.

If you have never tried Wednesday nights at Collierville, this is the season to step in. It is warm, predictable, and spacious enough for every stage of life. If you already come, you know what it feels like to arrive tired and leave steadier. That is the heart of THE GATHERING. It is not a set of programs. It is a weekly pattern that teaches us how to belong to God and to each other. Community for generations to come!