Picture our congregation moving fluidly and easily between our worship together and daily life in the communities around us—a Christian family that cares deeply for each other,[1] and is always on the lookout to introduce others to Christ.[2] Our family doesn’t wait for others to come to it, but we actively extend the hospitality of Christ outside of ourselves.[3]
We are a family that has become comfortable and energized talking with each other about how Jesus has changed our lives, and has learned how to naturally share with others what we’ve experienced.[4] We study the Scriptures together, encouraging each other to live by them,[5] and worship the living God together through Word and Sacrament.[6] We don’t sweat what we don’t know, and we celebrate, encourage, and share what we do always praying to see Christ more alive in us and through us.[7]
The leaders of this family are comfortable discussing and debating issues with mutual respect and mutual trust.[8] Distractions and discord do not derail us because—by God’s grace—we keep our eyes focused on his vision for us.[9] Our family is convinced that the greatest thing that ever happened was that Christ came into the world to reconcile us to God.[10]
We pay really close attention to places in our community where God
seems to be nudging people toward the eternal, and when we see it we say: “That’s where we need to be!”[11] We aren’t afraid of people who are different from us, are not intimidated by people who are against Christ, and instead, see such people as the very focus of Christ’s love.[12] We take joy in being a light in the darkness,[13] and in the experience of being the hands and the feet of Jesus.[14] The communities around us—after being on the receiving end of the love of Christ through us—have come to wonder how they ever got by without him.
[1] Acts 2:44-46; Romans 12:10; Romans 15:7; I Corinthians 12:25; Ephesians 4:32; I Thessalonians 5:11; I Peter 1:22; I Peter 4:10; I John 3:16
[2] Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8
[3] Romans 12:3; I Timothy 5:10; Hebrews 13:2
[5] Matthew 4:4; Luke 11:28; John 17:17; Romans 10:17; Colossians 3:16; Romans 15:4; James 1:21-23; I John 2:5
[6] Luke 24:13-43; I Corinthians 11:23-26
[8] Luke 6:37; Colossians 3:13; II Timothy 2:24; James 1:19
[9] I Corinthians 9:24; Philippians 3:14; Hebrews 12:1-3
[10] II Corinthians 5:17-21; Colossians 1:22
[11] Ecclesiastes 3:11; John 5:19; Hebrews 3:13
[12] Matthew 9:9-13; Mark 2:15-17; Luke 5:27-32; Luke 6:32; Luke 15; John 3:16-17; Romans 5:8; I Timothy 1:15; Hebrews 12:3
[13] Matthew 5:14-16; Luke 8:16; Ephesians 5:8;
[14] I Corinthians 12; Ephesians 2:10
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