Community

This past fall I spent a lot of time in College Station on the weekends. I began attending Grace Bible Church's Saturday night service. Ross King often times leads worship at this service. It was the same message as Sunday morning, but on Saturday night.

I really liked the service for multiple reasons. It was on Saturday night. When the sun sets, I don't like to do much, so it was nice to have this service to attend at a time when I would normally just be doing nothing. It was a very casual setting. I didn't have to get dressed up and could came dressed just as I was. The service was small and so it had community. I would often times see the same people there every week and got to know several of the people. The service also included an intermission fellowship time between the worship and message portion. Of my reasons for attending the service, the biggest reason was community.

Ross King taught us a song one night called Community. We sang it several times and you can read the lyrics at the "Your Mercies are new Every Morning" blog. I really like the lyrics, the message in the song. It is a prayer to God for Him to teach us how to be community. How to be one in Christ. How to be one in purpose and to take care of each other. What a great day it will be when the Church is finally one in community and in Christ!

I long for community. I want to belong to a community of Christians where I feel like I actually am a part of the Body. The church I attended in Midland was a good church. However, I never felt like I was a part of it. I attended every Sunday and sang in the choir, but felt like if I didn't attend one Sunday, no one would really know. What I felt was worse was that the community ended as soon as the service was over on Sunday. I didn't feel like anyone was really concerned about me outside of church. I didn't feel like anyone wanted to really know me.

After the first Saturday night service that I attended that Ross King led worship, I went home to look into his current endeavors. I knew he was a pastor at Community Church in College Station as I had attended the church for a year in college. Back then, the church met at the Hilton, then in a school cafeteria on Sunday mornings. The church now meets in Grace Bible Church - Southwood campus, on Sunday nights. In reading about the church, I found that they met on Sunday nights for dinner, worship, fellowship, and to study God's word. During the week they met in small groups for fellowship and worship. This seemed like what a church community should be like!

I am currently attending a church that I feel has a strong community, much like I was looking for after studying about Community Church. The church is The Well in Buda. I am disappointed that I will only be a part of it for a short time. I look forward to finding a similar church in my future locations.

Even though I am only going to be there a few weeks, they have made me a part of their community. I was invited by a person I had only met once before. Going there, I was immediately welcomed and made a part of their community. People wanted to talk and get to know me. They invited me to join their Bible studies and group activities. They made me part of their community, even though I would only be there a few weeks. They have community.

Are you taking the time to build community? Are you taking time to meet and know the strangers in your midst?

Last fall, I met a girl at the Saturday night service. We spent some time together but since I was only in College Station a few days a month and leaving soon for Rhode Island, it was hard to develop a long term relationship. We did get to spend time together and learned about each other, despite knowing our time would be short. Shortly before I left, she said "Thanks for taking the time to get to know me."

Getting to know someone takes time and effort. Some people say it is an investment. If it is just an investment, than it does little to invest time and effort in to knowing people who you may never see again. But that isn't what we are called to do. God tells us to take care of strangers because we were once strangers in Egypt. God tells us that we are all part of the Body of Christ. When you meet a fellow Christian, do you see them as a member of your community? When you see a stranger in your midst, do you remember to take care of them, even if it is just to greet them? You may never see the results of your time and effort, but it can make a difference. People have made a big impression on me in the time and effort they have spent getting to know me and involve me in their activities even though I will be leaving in a couple of weeks. Though she may never know her impact, I will warmly remember the kind words of my friend, "Thanks for taking the time to get to know me."

People have made an impact on me. I hope I can reciprocate the same to others.

Teach us to be community Jesus
Teach us to be community
Unify our hearts as one
Unify our hearts as one