THE POWER OF TOGETHERNESS
Read Time: 3 min 6 sec
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“The person who loves their dream of community will destroy community, but the person who loves those around them will create community.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
THE GOOD STUFF
THE POWER OF TOGETHERNESS
by Mark Wiley | Executive Pastor
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." – Hebrews 10:24-25
The past three months have been some of the busiest of my working career. The final push to complete the Sending Base building project, the multi-phase move into the new facility, the final closeout of the leased office space, the start-up and punch list activities associated with the new facility, all the while maintaining the other operational, financial, and administrative aspects of the church. And as if that wasn’t enough, Beth and I also sold our house of 22 years and moved into a new home the same week that the church moved. Not surprisingly, through all of this, God has been discipling and sanctifying me.
One of the things that the Lord has clearly taught me during this time is how essential it is to intentionally and regularly meet together with the body of Christ. Unfortunately, I’ve learned this by neglecting it during this busy season. Our Discipleship group intentionally took some time off as we headed into the summer. We also decided to delay restart until we got settled into our new home, which was mid-October. Therefore, I was not meeting with my D-group for nearly 5 months. In addition, I intentionally pulled back from 1-on-1 discipleship meetings, justifying it by the busyness of this season and trying to focus on the priority tasks. The resulting semi-isolation manifested itself in a prideful and false belief that everything was resting on my shoulders, leading to a lack of dependency on the Lord for His daily mercies. At the end of this busy season, I was tired, burnt out, and spiritually dry.
But as our D-group has started meeting again, and I have begun re-engaging middle-third discipleship relationships, the Lord has been so good to gently remind me that I need Christian community around me to stir me up to love and good works, and to encourage me, as the author of Hebrews says. God is refreshing me, and discipling me, through these relationships.
We live in a world where technology allows us to isolate ourselves more than ever. During COVID, this technology has been a tool to help us navigate the times where isolation was the best option. But this is not the best long-term strategy. God designed us to do life in real community: shoulder-to-shoulder, face-to-face community. So I encourage you to engage with the corporate gathering of the church every Sunday, to join and commit to regular attendance with a D-group, and establish and lean into 1-on-1 discipleship relationships, “all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
4W LIFE RESOURCES
Looking for ways to go deeper with your community, family, or discipleship group but not sure where to start? Don't miss our 4W Life resources. There are tips to help you prayer walk, share the gospel, worship together, study the Bible, and even practical ways you can love and serve others who are experiencing different life circumstances.
If you're looking for ways to serve our local community, check out the list of Community Outreach opportunities in the Indy area. Let's love and serve others well for the glory of God!