Virtue Church planning outdoor, dog-friendly service
Virtue Church will be joining thousands of churches across the country Sunday, Sept. 21, in observing National Back to Church Sunday at the church, 725 Virtue Road, Farragut.
This year’s special event, centered on the theme, “Life is Better Together,” will be an outdoor worship service, starting at 11 a.m., when all members of the Farragut community — including their four-legged friends — are invited to attend, according to the Rev. Bill Lyle, pastor of Virtue Church.
He said the church decided to open up the event as a dog-friendly service because “most people that have dogs are like us: The dog is part of the family.”
The service will be followed by a celebratory cookout. Everyone is welcome.
“We know that loneliness is a growing issue in our culture,” Lyle said. “Our community should know that our church is a resource and a place where people can connect, find support, prayer and make friends for when life gets hard.”
He said the 16th Annual Back to Church Sunday campaign is designed to encourage current churchgoers to invite friends and neighbors to “overcome loneliness and find connection, support and hope at a local church.
“The movement is based on the finding that eight out of 10 people are open to visiting a church if invited; they are simply waiting for an invitation,” Lyle said.
Since its launch in 2009, National Back to Church Sunday movement has seen more than 5 million people participate through 33,000 churches, he added.
“Whether you have been to church before or you are ex-ploring faith for the first time, we believe the best way to get through life is with a community of people who support you,” Lyle said. “We hope this event provides a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere for anyone in Farragut to connect and see that faith and community can provide a powerful sense of belonging.”
For more information, visit virtuechurch.org or call 865-966-1491.
