Screen Time: Troubleshooting our Relationship with Technology // M-Note 4.6.24

The Gathering celebrated Easter this year at The Factory, and I want to thank all of you that were a part of it. We had an incredible morning of worship including an offering that will fund our local mission work including our Literacy Project. This weekend in worship I will celebrate the overall amount, and it is exciting. I am especially grateful to all of you that served and invited others to join us that morning.
 
This weekend, I am beginning a new series called Screen Time: Troubleshooting our Relationship with Technology. I believe that technology is a gift. It helps us cure diseases, live healthier lives, and stay connected during global pandemics, but when is it too much? Is AI a saving grace or the beginning of our downfall? Does social media cultivate friendships or constantly show us how we’re falling short? It's hard to stay connected IRL when we’re always connected virtually. Most of all, how will all these screens impact us in the long run, especially younger generations of people who are growing up with them? There are A LOT of questions, and we are going to spend some time in this series seeking answers.
 
This series is one that is relevant to all of us, but I especially encourage kids and teenagers to be there. Parents, invite your friends, especially those who are navigating some of these same conversations in their own house. And for all the rest of you, let’s be honest, we spend too much time on screens, and we need to be thinking about our habits when it comes to technology.
 
Lastly, next week Pastor Charity is leading a very special event for all of you in a CoreGroup. On Tuesday April 16th at 7pm, we are having a ONE CoreGroup night at McCausland. Instead of your normal weekly meeting time, all CoreGroups are invited to come together for a special night of worship, inspiration, food, and conversation. It is going to be a really cool evening, and I hope all of you in a CoreGroup will be there. We are asking each person in a CoreGroup to please register so we can order food. You can find all the details and let us know you’re coming on the app or on the website.
 
The momentum and energy at The Gathering is so much fun right now. Thank you for being a part of it and make sure to invite someone to join us this weekend for our new series. It really will be relevant to everyone regardless of their church background. Have a great weekend, and I will see you Sunday.
 
Peace,
Matt
 
P.S. If you missed Easter Sunday or want to share the message with someone, you can find it online. I hope you send it to someone who may need a word of hope in their life. If you forgot to give a gift our Easter offering you can still do it right here. Finally, so much information including sign-ups and past sermons can be found on The Gathering app. If you don’t have it, you can download it here.