Community News – 11/13/2024
Community –
I played football in high school. Those days still hold a special place in my heart, but less because of the sport and more because of the team. We pushed each other, celebrated each other, went to battle for – and sometimes with – each other.
I’ve always loved team sports. There’s something about being part of a team that teaches you how to work together, rely on each other, and keep moving forward – no matter what. Everyone plays a role, and the success of the team depends on each player giving their best, supporting their teammates, and working toward the same goal.
Church is a lot like that. It’s a team sport. We are not called to go through life on our own, but to be part of something bigger – God’s mission in the world. We need each other on that mission. Yes, we’ll bump heads sometimes. But that’s how we learn and grow together. That’s how teams work. That’s why at Community, we talk about partnership rather than just membership. Partnership is an opportunity to affirm that we’re all in this mission together – contributing, caring, supporting, investing, serving, experimenting, growing together!
In Philippians, the Apostle Paul talks about his relationship with the church as a “partnership in the gospel” (Phil. 1:5). That’s the sentiment behind partnership at Community. We’re on the same team, sent to be “Good News” people in our community. Our mission is clear. I’ve got your back, and you’ve got mine as we pursue it!
My heart is to make a big deal about partnership here at Community. In a culture that has largely passed on the value of church and commitment in general, partnership asks us to swim upstream. It asks us to set aside our personal preferences and ambitions, and tell someone, “I’ll be there for you” or “I’ve got your back” or “let’s do this together.” For this reason alone, I’m convinced that our souls need partnership. It’s one way that God forms us into the image of Jesus!
Partners, look for some new and special ways that we’ll be connecting in 2025. I want you to know with clarity and conviction (1) who you are partnering with and (2) the mission we’re partnering on! I’ll be previewing some of that at our Partners Night on 11/20. We’ll worship, we’ll pray, we’ll look ahead into 2025. It will be an inspiring and hope-filled hour together!
Partner Night // Wednesday 11/20 // 6-7pm (pizza at 5:30pm)
If you’re not a Partner yet, join us on next Wednesday and see for yourself what it’s all about. You won’t be pressured to make a commitment. It’s just a chance to look in at what I believe God is up to!
With Joy –
Pastor Brett
P.S. Don’t forget that we’ve a Town Hall meeting after our Sunday service (11am) this weekend! We’ll hear an update from the Transition Team, the Search Team, and yours truly. And we’ve got a fun surprise in store for you!
