As we step into 2026, I want to offer a simple and hopeful invitation to our church family: make presence a priority.
This past Sunday, I shared that we are “swimming in connectivity, but drowning in isolation.” In a world filled with cell phones, emails, texts, and constant notifications, we are more connected than ever and yet more isolated than ever before. The truth is, our busy schedules are not going anywhere. Calendars will stay full. Convenience will always whisper that staying on the sidelines and doing life on your own is easier.
But the connected life, the kind of life God desires for us, does not happen by accident. It begins when we choose to belong.
Church, at its best, is not a place you attend. It is a people you belong to. God does not save us into a private spiritual life. God saves us into a community of faith, the body of Christ. Our faith was never meant to be lived alone. We grow deeper when we show up, share life, and allow ourselves to be known and to know others.
That is why I want to be very intentional in inviting you into a few meaningful ways to connect in this season.
Worship is where we gather to center our lives on God and remind one another that we are not alone.
Open Table is a shared meal where stories are told, friendships are formed, and no one has to eat alone.
Wednesday Night and Sunday Night Discipleship create space for children, youth, and adults to grow in faith together, build relationships, and learn what it means to follow Jesus in community.
These are not just programs. They are spaces where presence becomes love made visible. They are places where faith moves from something we talk about to something we live, together. When we show up in these spaces, we begin to re-train our hearts away from isolation and toward connection. We learn, slowly and faithfully, how to live as a people who belong to one another.
And that kind of connected life is not built all at once. It is built through small, intentional choices we make every day. Ordinary moments become holy moments when we choose presence over convenience.
So here are three simple, holy practices to carry with you this week.
- Make The Call Instead of Sending A Text – Not a long call. Five minutes. Just long enough to hear a voice and ask, “How are you really doing?”
- Pray With Someone Instead of Praying For Someone – If you are together, say, “Can we pray right now?” If you are apart, ask, “Can I call you and pray with you for a minute?”
- Show Up And Be Present For Each Other – Bring the meal. Make the visit. Sit with them. Go to the thing that matters to them. Because church, at its best, is not a place you attend. It is a people you belong to.
And if you are feeling lonely, please hear this clearly. You are not failing. You are human. And you do not have to carry that weight alone. God’s answer to isolation has always been presence, community, and shared life, come and join us to find your place at Pittman Park.
My prayer for us in 2026 is that we would be a deeply connected church, united in seeking Christ together. May our togetherness become a witness to God’s work in the world, and may love be seen in the way we show up for one another.
God bless,
Jonathan
For Jesus. For People. For Community.