Connect Together
I enjoy meeting new people who visit Grace. There are a number of reasons why people check us out and I’m always interested. Most people are looking for a place to worship by learning about Scripture or by raising their children – they want them in a safe friendly place or a church where they will be accepted. I’ve heard many people say that Grace Evangelical Church uses the Scriptures during the messages! It’s hard to believe that a church would not value and preach God’s Word, but I’m told many churches don’t use much Scripture. Their teaching may be merely stories or a psychological rendering of people’s problems.
Whatever their reason for visiting Grace, I always think, “How I can connect people to help them feel a part of the family at Grace?” That’s part of our Vision Statement:
- Connecting together to worship God
· Equipping together in grace to be more like Christ
· Multiplying together with the gospel to reach the world world
My first concern is really the first line of the vision statement. Let me take a few moments to address that first line.
The Scott family recently joined Grace. Steve works on the north side now and Kayce is the co-director of Noah’s Ark. I loved hearing how they are connecting together to worship at Grace. Kayce was sharing with the new staff of Noah’s Ark and she said, “We love being at Grace, because people here know so much Scripture. They rattle off verses about what the Bible says to every circumstance of life. I have not been around that before. It’s amazing!” She also commented that connecting to groups is what helps us worship the Lord. Steve and Kayce have connected with the Word Processors. Kayce said she loves how the group is walking through books of the Bible in a way that they understand.
Connection helps us fulfill God’s way of worship. When we come together and show both the truth and caring for others, people respond in exalted worship of the Lord.
Our new Connection Team Ministry is always working on trying to help people see how they might connect in the groups we offer – both fellowship groups and home groups. The Ministry Fair was put on by the Connection Team and the Communication Team so that we can connect together to worship Godcorporately and work in our community as the Body of Christ.
Yes, connection is extremely important for us to worship God. The writer to the Hebrews records: And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.1 Whether we are described as a body,2 living stones built up into a spiritual house,3the household of God,4 a holy temple of the Lord,5 or built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit,6 God designed us to worship Him together. We do that best when connected through a variety of ways – worship service, fellowship groups, home groups and serving together.
I pray that you’ll get to know some of our new people so that you’ll connect together to worship God in Spirit and in Truth!
1Hebrews 10:24-25; 21 Corinthians 12:12-20; 31 Peter 2:5; 4Ephesians 2:19; 5Ephesians 2:20; 6Ephesians 2:21
Shepherding Truth 