Last Sunday, we had the joy of taking a day to spend more time together at our Big Church Day Together - to pray and worship together, to eat together, to serve together and have fun together. Highlights included, celebrating the baptism of Eli and Anthony, sending out a group into the community with litter pickers, a silent disco with a variety of ages dancing together, taking time to eat together with Breakfast, Lunch and a BBQ dinner with marshmallows around the fire pit.
The day gave opportunity to get beyond the simple surface conversations we can often have when we come to church. One joy was overhearing people discovering new things about each other, despite normally seeing each other weekly. Deeper relationships emerged simply from spending more time together, often while doing activities side by side. Sometimes, new relationships formed as people genuinely spoke to one another for the first time.
As a church, we describe ourselves as a "Growing Community, Shaped by Jesus". Often, we may view the "Growing Community" as being about an outward movement - inviting others in. And whilst we are about that - it is also about a "Growing Community" that goes deeper and knows one another better. We heard from Acts 4:32-37 on Sunday, and were reminded of how the believers were as a community - that they were of one heart and mind, meeting each other's needs. This comes from a closeness in relationship and a grace that comes from Jesus. It is an outworking of our being "Shaped by Jesus", being formed in his grace and love, that we will see this depth and closeness as a "Growing Community, Shaped by Jesus".
It is not something that is only grown in an event like the Big Church Day Together - though that might help start it - but it is in our everyday actions. Investing into community by inviting someone you spoke to for food, going out for a walk together, spend some more time together to allow the conversations to go deeper and the relationship to grow - being better able to pray for someone else in church and help to meet one another's needs.