You could not help but see it in the joy in the eyes of these families as they meet with some people they knew for years and others they had been going to church for years with but were only a face across the isle. To move beyond the Sunday morning greeting time, to the start of authentic connection in the spirit of the Lord is what this is all about. Some of the groups got to having so much fun that time got away from them and they stayed and connected after the event was over.
Sounds of laughter filled the gym as God's people shared stories and found connections that just don't happen in one hour on a Sunday morning. There were so many different people and yet they just began to scratch the surface to find that each one, young or old, single or married are not so different from one another. Above all we have the common bond of Jesus Christ and that makes us all brothers and sisters. Beginning there, we begin to explore what it really means to be one family, the household of God.
These family groups went home with the names and phone numbers of people in their group so that they could start praying for one another. It is certainly a comforting feeling to know that there are five or six other families praying specifically for you and your family. Our new system of the Family Care Plan is not perfect. There will be things that come up, snags, glitches, and what not, but this form of care is based on Scriptural Principles and supported by the prayers of a church seeking to draw closer to Christ and to one another.
Satan wants nothing better than to bring this entire plan down from the very top to the very bottom, but we will not allow that to happen because we know that there is a greater power at work, the Holy Spirit. We know that Jesus said that where two or more are gathered He is there. I am confident that He will continue to bless this process because at it's core lies the cross and the victory of the empty tomb.
I know not all our members were able to attend one of the four events that we had, and I pray that they will be able to find the connection these families did when they are connected in the near future. It is my prayer that God continues to bless this process for drawing us closer to Him as we continue to seek ways to encourage and build up the body of Christ. Each member will be connected and supported because being a member of this family at Our Savior means more than just words, but faith in action, love in action and care in action.
To find out more information about this new process or our Family Friendly Church Initiative click on the link.
