An EPIC Anniversary
Wait, Whose Anniversary Is It?
From its very inception EpicOneEight was rooted in asking questions. It began as a collaboration of Gloria Dei staff and members, led by the (new to us) Pastor Dave Berg and worship leader Chris Roberts.
Together we wondered…
What if we had a worship experience with fewer rhetorical questions?
What if we explored music that was rooted in the sensibilities of our tradition, and meeting us in our current context in new ways?
What if we were intentional about our welcome, and focused on how we are sent to serve?
What if children were full participants in our worship life, serving communion, reading lessons, and even helping with the sermons?
With these questions and many more, we ultimately asked, “If we created a worship experience from scratch, what would it look like?” We used words like “experiential,” and “community,” and “participatory.” Ultimately we found the acronym “EPIC” (Experiential, Participatory, Image Rich, and Community Based). We also resonated with Acts 1:8 as a theme verse: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Then, in September of 2012, EpicOneEight was born. We described it as a “Work in Progress” at the time. This Fall as we mark Epic’s ten year anniversary, it still is! Over the past decade, Epic has been a significant part of our life together, serving as an entry point to our community, a launch pad for outreach, and a safe space for people from all kinds of backgrounds to gather and explore. What has made it special is the community that created it. Each person who has gathered at Epic, shared their ideas, hearts, and time inside and outside the worship experience has helped to create something special. And the work in progress continues!