FROM PASTOR STEPHANIE:

Time to FLY…

In a meeting, somebody asked, “If you have two birds in a nest and one decides to fly away, how many do you have?” I thought, well, two minus one is one. They said, “No, the answer is two!” I remember thinking, He doesn’t even know the answer to this simple math question! But then he said something that struck my heart. He said, “Making a decision and taking action are two different things.”

We can sit in the nest and do nothing or fly away from the nest and take action. What is that action that God is calling us to? I believe we are called to be a community that becomes and makes faithful followers of Jesus Christ. But HOW?

God created a unique and loving community called the Church in a world where people feel isolated and alone. In fact, one of the first acts in Jesus’ ministry was to establish a community of believers, the disciples. These 13, including Jesus, transformed the world with the Good News of the Kingdom of God. Jesus modeled and taught about life in this new community throughout His ministry. He showed us we were not created to do life alone. Jesus was completely capable of preaching, teaching and healing by Himself. It’s not as if Jesus needed anyone to help Him! But God designed us to need each other, and Jesus lived this out by taking along 12 friends.

Being in a loving community helps us in many ways. We have friends to encourage us when we feel down, someone to help when we struggle with a problem, we learn together to love as Jesus loved, and community helps us stay committed to our Christian faith. The community also helps us stay obedient to God’s will for our lives. Living in community allows us to follow Jesus’ command to “… love one another, just as I have loved you” (John 15:12 NAS). The only way to love others is to live in a community.

There are so many ways to become a part of the community here at Pittman Park:

• Join one of our Sunday School classes – Sundays 10-11 AM,
• Sign up for Disciple II – Sundays 5–7 PM,
• Sign up for Epic of Eden – Wednesdays 6:30–7:30 PM,
• Join the choir – Wednesdays 6:30–7:30 PM,
• Sign up for Intentional Parenting – Wednesdays 6:30-7:30 PM
• Come to Grilled Cheese Lunch – Mondays at 12-1 PM
• Join the Walking Group – Tuesdays at 10 AM
• Volunteer as a small group leader in Park Kids or Park Students on Sundays or Wednesdays
• Serve in missions with Backpack Buddies, Amazing Grace Bags, Sewing for Missions, XYZ Church Maintenance, Rebecca’s Cafe, and many more ways.

But – believe it or not, many people in our world today need you outside the church. People need the community you provide right where you are:

• Where you shop, walk, and talk each day
• Where you watch your kids or grandkids play ball, dance, or sing
• Where your life experiences happen, at work, home, doctor’s office

God has a dream for us, including an authentic Christian community leading to genuine spiritual growth. Jesus prayed for it. It’s what we all need and what the unbelieving world longs to see. So let’s take flight and grow into those who are AND are making faithful followers of Jesus Christ.

Stephanie Smith
(912) 678-5632
[email protected]