Your Family, the Church

Posted on November 20, 2018 by Justin Serrano

At the beginning of the school year, my second child started attending the youth group at Harvest. He’s shy and introverted, and he was feeling some apprehension as we were driving to church. It typically takes him a bit of time to warm up to new situations, even when he is familiar with the people. While I drove him and his older sister to youth group on the first night, I talked to them about the importance of family. I was mostly speaking to his older sister, but the message applies to so many different relationships.

I reminded my daughter that, as his older sister, he was looking to her for safety and that when her brother was feeling apprehensive or anxious, she could help him feel brave. We talked about how she should always make him feel welcome (even if that meant inviting him into her circle of friends), and not make fun of him, because that would only make things more difficult for him. I explained to her that if she could do this for him, he would have an easier time adjusting to youth group, and ultimately, she would have her social time back.

During our conversation, I explained to her, “You’re like home to him, and everything he feels at home, he should feel when he’s around you.” Not every home is ideal, and no home is perfect, but my husband and I strive to make our home a place where everyone knows they belong, they matter, they are safe, and they are loved. This familial bond, however, should also exist outside the walls of our house.

As I was sharing this with my kids, I realized that church should also feel this way. For example, Peter tells us, “Above all, have fervent and unfailing love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins [it overlooks unkindness and unselfishly seeks the best for others]” (I Peter 4:8 AMP). We often refer to our home church as our “church family,” and as such, we should feel like we belong, like we matter, and like we’re loved.

In addition, we should also do what we can for the benefit of others. We must work to show unfailing love to one another, because that is what creates room for people to grow and thrive. We should always feel safe and protected. We should feel free to be exactly who God created us to be. We should strive to give our families our best: our patience, our time and attention, our praise and encouragement, and our forgiveness.

As a church family, we should never make people feel the opposite of these things. We should not be a clique, where people are longing to belong, but don’t know how. We shouldn’t be a place where people feel like they have to change in order to fit in. Instead, we should be a place where people believe they are important, because that’s the way we treat them.

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If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, everyone of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. —I Corinthians 12:17-19 NIV

As a church family, we all belong, and God has placed each one of us in the role He created us to fill. If you are looking for a place where you can belong, Harvest could be that place for you. We have people from all walks of life, and we will strive to help you connect to people who will become this kind of family for you.

 

 

Love Jesus. Love each other. Love your city.
Harvest, Go be the Church!

 

If you have any ideas for a good blog post consisting of stories within our church family, we would love to hear from you. Send your idea, along with your contact info to: [email protected]