Before I get to what I love about our church here are three quick points of qualification-

Here they are, in no particular order.

• I love the diversity of ages represented at our church. We may be lopsided towards the young families’ category but it is sweet to see teenagers, more mature couples, singles, etc. interacting with the body, contributing to the body, and recognizing Christ as the what is truly central in enjoying fellowship.
• I love the eagerness our church expresses to hear and learn from God’s word. I am constantly hearing how people were convicted, challenged in their thinking, and provoked to a greater love for God through sermons and studies. I love the way people examine Scripture passages, ask tough questions, think hard about issues, and want to truly learn what God’s word means and how it applies to their lives.
• I love the way God has put our church together with different people fulfilling different roles. We have people who are constantly positive and always ready with an encouraging word. There are people who see what needs to be done and are on it. We have people who will take time to just sit and listen giving godly advice and wisdom. There are people who will open their homes at any time and welcome people in to share life together.
• I love the people quickly step up and meet needs when needs are made known. When a need is communicated we often have swarms of people ready to help with their time, their resources, their finances, etc. It seems that between children’s ministry, facilities, and various Grace Group service opportunities almost everyone is finding a way to practically contribute to meeting needs in the body.
• I love the honesty with which our church admits their sinfulness. On the whole we readily acknowledge we are sinful. I am constantly in contact with people who recognize their fallenness and its effects in their lives. Even better- it seems that people see sins ugliness and hate it. As I talk with people about sin they battle repeatedly, a real desire for holiness and change is evident.
• I love the way our church points back to the cross in every situation. It is becoming clear to me that we are growing to understand how the gospel connects to everything in life. When we confess sin to each other we point each other back to the cross. When we see our sin revealed in the pages of Scripture we also recognize God’s grace and patience with us displayed in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is beginning to permeate our thinking- as well it should.
• I love the way our church cherishes children and the way we work together to raise them. Children are seen as gifts from God to be cherished and loved. At the same time we all understand parenting is hard work and a heavy responsibility. Because of this I see us responding by supporting and encouraging each other in this rather overwhelming task.

This list is just a beginning- What would you add?

This entry was posted by Tim Pickard on Monday, November 26th, 2007 at 8:16 pm and is filed under Main. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.