When I think of community in my mind I see a birds-eye view of the place I grew up; my house, the neighborhood park, my schools, and right in the middle, at the heart, my church. I was third generation at my church which meant that the people around me knew and loved my parents and my grandparents. Essentially, the heartbeat of my community was my church ‘family.’ Consequently, church felt like home, with familiar faces and new friends, celebrations and memorials, laughter and tears, all shared in this safe space. To me ‘family’ and ‘sense of community’ are the same.
More times than I can count, during the craziness of my junior high years, a friend and I would slip into the balcony of our chapel to have a heart-to-heart. The reverent quiet mixed with the musty smells of well-worn carpet and fresh memories of the past Sunday service to convey its holiness. To this day when I walk into that chapel my senses teem with such a combination of emotions and memories that I am easily brought to tears, the good kind.
This is the experience I want every child to have when they encounter our church family. Whether they visit once a year with their grandparents, come occasionally after a sleep-over with a church friend, or attend every Sunday, I hope they feel safe, special, welcome, known, and loved. I hope they feel ‘family.’
Dear Father, Creator of all, help us to see our brothers and sisters through Your eyes and welcome them into our community. In Jesus’ name. Amen.