From Pastor Stephanie
Relationships
Just this past week, members of our church have dealt with loss. A child just a week away from entering into this world only to be found with no heartbeat. A sister stood beside her sister in grief as she mourned the passing of her spouse. A job that was supposed to provide for a few more years was taken away, and all the days seem different now. A family member’s house caught fire, and the whole family is now displaced. A family pet passed away suddenly.
While all of these circumstances and conversations are heavy, I am thankful to be able to hear your heart’s cries. We are the body of Christ here for each other to hear the needs, the pain, the joy, the excitement, and the sorrow.
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 men, including Jesus, transformed the world with the Good News of the kingdom of God. Throughout His ministry, Jesus modeled and taught about life in this new kind of community.
We were not created to do life or ministry alone. The community was God’s plan to change the world. 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 to love as Jesus loved, it helps us stay committed to our Christian faith, and we can also be ourselves.
May God build in us a community that cares for each other as we care for the community around us.
God bless,
Stephanie Smith