sunday night gatherings
:: who? ::
everyone is welcome! our goal is that everyone from children to grandparents, from those who have been in church all their lives to those who might be visiting a church for the first time will feel welcomed and will meet with God.
:: what? ::
sunday night gatherings are the consistent time each week that we as a community and a church family meet to worship together. but our hope and desire is that we live life together in Christ not only on sunday nights but throughout the entire week.
:: when? ::
every sunday night at 5:00
:: where? ::
the lsu bcm building on the corner of highland and chimes, at the north gate of the LSU... get directions.
:: missed a night and want to hear the sermon? ::
then just check out our podcast on itunes
:: what to expect when you come? ::
the entire night is a journey of sorts, with testimonies, the message, and the music all working together to help us connect with God and each other.
the general vibe at the ring is pretty laid back. people tend to dress very casually, but you won't feel out of place if you dress nicely, either.
the music is led by a band, whose goal is to help us worship God... not to put on a show. many of the songs we sing can be categorized as "contemporary," but we also love to sing hymns.
the service begins at 5:00 p.m. and usually wraps up around 6:30.
during the gathering, childcare is provided for ages 5 and under. (check out our kids ministry page for more details about the nursery.)
one aspect of sunday nights that you may want to be aware of ahead of time is how we handle giving and prayer requests. there is an area in the back corner of the room that is set aside to receive prayer requests and offerings at any point during our time together.
we believe that Jesus Christ has the power to change any life and any situation. therefore, our prayer request cards say "Jesus Christ has the power to...", and you fill in the rest. those requests are then emailed to our prayer team, who joyfully joins you in praying for that need.
some people ask why we have a station for our offerings instead of using other methods. the truth is, we feel that this is the best fit for our church. not that we believe this is the only way to receive offerings, but it seems to be the best way for us at this time. this comes from our belief that giving is an act of worship, just like the other things we do on sunday nights, such as the music and prayer.
we desire for everyone to have the freedom to respond to God in their time, and to do so gladly. God has used the giving and prayer request station to shape our understanding of giving, and He is helping us refuse to let money rule our lives.
:: why are the sunday night gatherings referred to as "the ring"? ::
as the ring community church, our roots are based in a college ministry.
in short, the then minister of education at parkview baptist church, jim wallace, worked with josh causey, a student at lsu, to begin a time of worship specifically geared toward college students on sunday nights. this time together became known as "the ring."
as we've grown into a church, sunday nights have continued to be called the ring. but today, the ring is so much more than sunday night gatherings... it's weeknight Bible studies known as community groups, various ministries, fellowships, and gatherings.
the once sunday night college worship service is now a multi-night church for all ages... the ring is now the ring community church. but for short, you can still call us "the ring."
(for the full story about how we've grown from a college ministry to a church and about our name check out the about us section of this site.)
:: have more questions about the sunday night gatherings? ::
if you are new to the ring or if you would simply like more answers to your questions about the sunday night gatherings or the ring community church in general, check out our new to the ring? page or email us anytime at staff@ringcommunity.org.