This Sunday, Bethany UMC will welcome a group of new people into our fellowship! These folks have taken the NewComers class, and are all looking forward to affirming their faith in Christ in front of the congregation. We as a congregation are excited to welcome them in and help them grow in their faith and serve God alongside of us. I recently read a key thought that I've shared with this class of NewComers, and I'll share it with all of you as well. Often in the church, we look to new people as a way to 'fill' our church's 'needs.' If we discover someone who works at a bank, we instantly think "Treasurer!" or "Finance Chair!" and sadly, we give little thought to where this person's gifts and interests are, or where God is calling them to serve. We see an opening on a committee, we want to plug it. Now, I'm all for getting new people involved, and helping them to feel a part of things, and use their gifts to serve. But I have to challenge myself to consider their interests, goals, and gifts as a part of that process, rather than simply looking at our church's needs and trying to squeeze them into that area. What a blessing that they are all becoming a part of ministry and fellowship! We rejoice to welcome them in!
2 comments:
Amen! We're taking in a bunch of newbies this Sunday and are taking the same approach. Several are already jumping in, which is great, but we don't want to force anything or scare anyone off.
Good job, Jeffrey. Obviously the Lord is drawing people to your congregation, and that's a testimony to your faithfulness.
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