Staying Connected
I’m preaching this week on “helping yourself”, which is a bit of a paradox. You have a chance to influence the sermon! I’m looking for interesting ways that people can stay connected to the Body of Christ. Could be ways to stay connected to the church as an entity (subscribe to FT News) or connecting with others (Let’s do lunch!).
So what ideas do you have for staying connected?
I don’t know that it’s as important to stay connected with the Body of Christ as an individual church or even church “friends” as it is to stay connected to God and He will guide your connections. There are many megachurches out there and I don’t know if their thousands of members are truly connected to their churches. That doesn’t mean they aren’t connected to God or that they aren’t doing His will. I think that for some people, being connected by having Christian friends is important. Other people may not rely on such friendships and only rely on God. I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
October 7, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Alicia: Staying connected with a church and other Christians is certainly only one part of the equation. I’ll also be talking about staying connected with Christ as well. That’s the first part of the sermon actually.
One of the reasons I like being connected with other Christians is that they are a help when I’m struggling with something. One of the odd truths that I’ve found is that when we have a difficult problem, we tend to isolate ourselves from those that could/would help because we’re ashamed or embarrassed. So we try to fight the problem alone and often end up in even more trouble.
When the church is functioning at its best, we’re helping each other with these problems we face, not putting on a good front and ignoring them. We’re looking to Christ together for help. The relationship with others should never become more important than our relationship with God, however. I like to think of it as a Both/And relationship, not an Either/Or.
October 7, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Your thoughts are so true Jason. I have found that in order to develop the kind of relationships you describe with other believers, you have to build a trust level. You have to know that they will not judge, or criticize, or tell other people. The only way to build that kind of trust level is to be involved in a small group, a prayer ministry, or small Bible study where you can begin to open up and safely begin to share the joys and struggles of life. As trust grows, the level of sharing deepens. Like so many things in Christian walk, growth in this area starts with a little risk, or step of faith. You have to join a small group, or expose a slice of your pain to a trusted friend when you ask them to pray for you, or be willing to reveal that you don’t know where “Malachi” if you join a Bible study. The risk is worth it when you start feeling the wonderful joys and benefits of strong Christian relationships.
October 8, 2008 at 1:15 pm