One thing that I've prayed for since living in North Carolina is a true sense of community. I'm not talking about learning to appreciate our city/community - that was easy to do - I'm talking about PEOPLE who build community and do life together. It's something I had while living in Oklahoma with my family and friends, but since moving to North Carolina, I was immediately immersed in my work (which, don't get me wrong here - I work with some incredible people who I consider dear friends!), but that was the only community I knew. It was long hours with busy people, many of whom had family nearby to visit on holidays and weekends. Being "transplants" from the Midwest, JJ and I were truly all each other had. While this served us well in building a strong foundation for our marriage, we began to wish for a community of people with whom we could share life, grow in our faith together, and be challenged by.
After visiting many churches over our first year in NC, we walked in the doors of Pinedale Christian Church one Sunday morning and we immediately noticed something very special happening in this place: community. These were ordinary people who desire to have extraordinary lives serving, loving, and doing life together. There is certainly no such thing as a perfect church, since churches are filled with imperfect humans. But we have found that this body of believers is one that strives to be the body of a perfect Christ in a broken world.
One of our first experiences with this community of believers was a 40 day church-wide devotion, which included weekly gatherings in church members' homes. At our first gathering, we sat around the circle and introduced ourselves…typical start to a new group, right? However, these introductions were something a little different than what I've previously experienced in church gatherings, as it started something like this: "Hi, my name is Chris. I spent nearly 18 years in prison [for murder], and now I'm a forgiven and grateful believer in Jesus Christ…" and sitting next to him, the next introduction was, "Hi, I'm David! I'm a cop..." I like to think that this is how Heaven will be - a community of believers who are worshipping together, regardless of their backgrounds!
We spent the next few years in a Pinedale group called New Beginnings, a Sunday class full of young adults who are just beginning new chapters of their lives - new families, new careers, etc. We built many friendships that have lasted over the years, and we are so thankful for this group. A friend in this group called us out of the blue one day and asked if we would consider volunteering with a group of inner city teens that meets on Thursday nights at the church (a group we were not aware of at the time). Little did he know, we had specifically been praying for an opportunity to serve in a church ministry, so this was no coincidence! Because this friend was obedient to God's subtle urging, and he made that phone call, we have been involved with this ministry for almost 2 years now!
Last summer, we felt it was time to try a different Sunday School/small group, and God led us to a community within Pinedale called 432. The name is derived from Acts 4:32 -
"And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them."
Upon meeting this community of fun, devoted, and servant-hearted people, it was obvious that they strive to live in a way reflective of the Acts church reference. It took JJ and I almost a month to figure out whose baby was whose, since the group constantly passed them around (and there were a LOT of them- 10 new babies in this group in 2013, to be exact!). They were constantly hosting people in their homes, passing along hand-me-downs, providing meals for people, helping build houses, pooling resources, and the list goes on and on. If you've heard the saying "It takes a whole village to raise a child," I would say this is the closest real-life example I've experienced in the U.S. (to many cultures I've observed around the world, this comes as second nature).
On the Sunday before Christmas, JJ stood up during our 432 group gathering and made a last-minute request of our friends … we were aware of a family of 3 children, raised by a single mother, who had matter-of-factly informed us that they would not be receiving Christmas presents (and they did not share in a manner of expecting sympathy; they simply stated it as a fact). If anyone in 432 would be willing to pitch in a few dollars, we would really like to provide something for the family for Christmas. JJ acknowledged that this was certainly last minute, as Christmas was in 3 days, and he understood that many people had already stretched their resources, but he asked them to simply consider.
What happened next was astonishing (yet not uncharacteristic of this group). Person after person from this group came up to us, emptying their wallets, offering checks, loose dollars, coin change, and even driving to our house after church to bring money. When all resources were pooled together, we had well over $300 within a matter of hours. This was money raised for a family that no one else in our group knew. They didn't know any details about the situation or why there would be no presents for the kids. They simply knew that all of our money is not truly our own; it is a blessing from God, so that we can be a blessing to others.
The [incredible] way that God used these dollars that were pooled together is another story for another post. And yet, this is just one example of the way a true community can make a huge difference by giving of their time, resources, and their hearts without regard for their own convenience. What if everyone lived every day like that? What would our world look like?
This. This is the community that I have been searching for. One that truly lives to serve others. One that takes seriously the responsibility to be the "hands and feet of Jesus" in this world. It's not about religion. It's not about a church denomination. It's about doing life together in a way that challenges each other to love bigger, grow deeper, and serve more. I honestly can't imagine going through life without a community like this. I'm thankful for the ways God has grown my faith through many different seasons of life, and I'm beyond blessed to experience a current sense of True Community.
In grateful communion,
L
After visiting many churches over our first year in NC, we walked in the doors of Pinedale Christian Church one Sunday morning and we immediately noticed something very special happening in this place: community. These were ordinary people who desire to have extraordinary lives serving, loving, and doing life together. There is certainly no such thing as a perfect church, since churches are filled with imperfect humans. But we have found that this body of believers is one that strives to be the body of a perfect Christ in a broken world.
One of our first experiences with this community of believers was a 40 day church-wide devotion, which included weekly gatherings in church members' homes. At our first gathering, we sat around the circle and introduced ourselves…typical start to a new group, right? However, these introductions were something a little different than what I've previously experienced in church gatherings, as it started something like this: "Hi, my name is Chris. I spent nearly 18 years in prison [for murder], and now I'm a forgiven and grateful believer in Jesus Christ…" and sitting next to him, the next introduction was, "Hi, I'm David! I'm a cop..." I like to think that this is how Heaven will be - a community of believers who are worshipping together, regardless of their backgrounds!
We spent the next few years in a Pinedale group called New Beginnings, a Sunday class full of young adults who are just beginning new chapters of their lives - new families, new careers, etc. We built many friendships that have lasted over the years, and we are so thankful for this group. A friend in this group called us out of the blue one day and asked if we would consider volunteering with a group of inner city teens that meets on Thursday nights at the church (a group we were not aware of at the time). Little did he know, we had specifically been praying for an opportunity to serve in a church ministry, so this was no coincidence! Because this friend was obedient to God's subtle urging, and he made that phone call, we have been involved with this ministry for almost 2 years now!
Last summer, we felt it was time to try a different Sunday School/small group, and God led us to a community within Pinedale called 432. The name is derived from Acts 4:32 -
"And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them."
Upon meeting this community of fun, devoted, and servant-hearted people, it was obvious that they strive to live in a way reflective of the Acts church reference. It took JJ and I almost a month to figure out whose baby was whose, since the group constantly passed them around (and there were a LOT of them- 10 new babies in this group in 2013, to be exact!). They were constantly hosting people in their homes, passing along hand-me-downs, providing meals for people, helping build houses, pooling resources, and the list goes on and on. If you've heard the saying "It takes a whole village to raise a child," I would say this is the closest real-life example I've experienced in the U.S. (to many cultures I've observed around the world, this comes as second nature).
On the Sunday before Christmas, JJ stood up during our 432 group gathering and made a last-minute request of our friends … we were aware of a family of 3 children, raised by a single mother, who had matter-of-factly informed us that they would not be receiving Christmas presents (and they did not share in a manner of expecting sympathy; they simply stated it as a fact). If anyone in 432 would be willing to pitch in a few dollars, we would really like to provide something for the family for Christmas. JJ acknowledged that this was certainly last minute, as Christmas was in 3 days, and he understood that many people had already stretched their resources, but he asked them to simply consider.
What happened next was astonishing (yet not uncharacteristic of this group). Person after person from this group came up to us, emptying their wallets, offering checks, loose dollars, coin change, and even driving to our house after church to bring money. When all resources were pooled together, we had well over $300 within a matter of hours. This was money raised for a family that no one else in our group knew. They didn't know any details about the situation or why there would be no presents for the kids. They simply knew that all of our money is not truly our own; it is a blessing from God, so that we can be a blessing to others.
The [incredible] way that God used these dollars that were pooled together is another story for another post. And yet, this is just one example of the way a true community can make a huge difference by giving of their time, resources, and their hearts without regard for their own convenience. What if everyone lived every day like that? What would our world look like?
This. This is the community that I have been searching for. One that truly lives to serve others. One that takes seriously the responsibility to be the "hands and feet of Jesus" in this world. It's not about religion. It's not about a church denomination. It's about doing life together in a way that challenges each other to love bigger, grow deeper, and serve more. I honestly can't imagine going through life without a community like this. I'm thankful for the ways God has grown my faith through many different seasons of life, and I'm beyond blessed to experience a current sense of True Community.
In grateful communion,
L
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