connecting is hard

Over the past couple of months, I have been thinking a lot about how people in a church connect with one another. For some of us, that happens relatively easily and naturally. We grew up here, find significant relationships through work or in our neighborhoods, or have personalities that make it easy to meet others. But some of us have a more difficult time finding significant relationships. Maybe we are new to town, work alone, or struggle to find time to meet others. Given our individual differences, how can the church help all of us find a sense of belonging in a community?

After all, that is what every church claims to be; a community of people seeking to follow Christ together. As The Gathering grows, it is going to become increasingly important that we find intentional ways to foster relationships and a sense of belonging. Lately, I have had several conversations with people struggling to find significant relationships within the church. For some of you, that isn't a problem. For others, even after small group participation or serving in a ministry, you still feel as if you are missing the kind of relationship you want. I want you to know that this is a reality that I, and our leaders, are spending time talking about.

As we grow, that sense of belonging is almost certainly going to happen in smaller groups. Our hope is that in addition to small groups, we also provide more opportunities for people in the church to meet one another. As we do this, I want to ask for your help. If you have an easy time meeting others, make an effort on Sunday morning to meet at least one new person. If you are in a small group or serve in a ministry with others, consider scheduling time to hang out together socially. If you are interested in putting together a social event, please let me know. If you are struggling to feel a sense of belonging, I would like to be in conversation with you.

Through all of this, I hope that every person at The Gathering remembers the importance of not only reaching "up" toward God, but also reaching "out" to truly meet and get to know the others in our midst. After all, that is part of the commitment we all make when we want to follow Christ in community.