Dear First Pres,
I’m writing to you today from Buckeye Lake outside of Columbus, Ohio. I’ll be flying home tonight, but I’m here for a small gathering of pastors through Leighton Ford Ministries. The purpose of the gathering is mutual edification and encouragement. We are a living expression of Paul’s exhortation in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 which says, “Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up.”
To be honest, I was conflicted about coming. I’ve been out of the office a lot since May (Presbytery, Ethiopia, Israel, COVID, & Calvin Crest Family Camp), and we still haven’t taken our traditional family vacation (that’s next week). So, it felt like a bit much to fly out to Ohio for four days, miss another week in the office and be away from the family some more. But I’m so glad I came for myself and for the other pastors in the group. The time has been deeply enriching for me and for us together.
It’s moments like these when I remember that the very best gift I can give to FPC, is my own spiritual well-being in Christ. And times like these, particularly in Christ-centered intentional community gatherings, are a critical part of that for me. We are made for community. Jesus called the disciples to become like Him by inviting them to do life with Him.
So, how do we build that kind of community with one another? Here are some important examples:
We eat together. I’m so grateful for the many folks who went out to Eat Downtown last week. Not only was it an opportunity to show our love for people who work, live or invest in downtown Fresno. It was also an opportunity to connect with one another. I had the privilege of sitting at a table of six people. Three of us had been at FPC for several years, and three of us were brand new to the church. We had a great time. Don’t forget to find ways to share table fellowship with one another.
We serve together. Next week starts our City Bible Adventure for kids. The only way we can pull off this ministry is with dozens of volunteers. Thank you so much for all those who are serving. And, let’s all remember to be praying for them every evening next week. Serving together is one of the best ways to encourage each other and build each other up in Christ Jesus.
We worship together. If you are literally unable to come to the Sanctuary on Sundays for our corporate worship times, I understand. You are the reason we continue to intentionally invest in a quality online worship experience. However, it’s not the same as being in the room where it happens. Worshiping together has been a mark of Christ followers since the very beginning (see Acts 2). We benefit so much from making it a priority in our lives, and we lose so much when we slip into sparse attendance. Now, if you are a “sparse attendance” person, please don’t read this as condemnation. My prayer is that you hear it as inspiration. One of the most important ways of building the kind of Christ-centered community that we need is to worship together.
We disciple together. For the last several years I’ve been meeting on Wednesday night with a dedicated group of guys for the purpose of growing as disciples of Jesus together. We study the Scriptures together. We apply it to our lives together. And we pray together. It’s good for me to have other pastors that I’m connecting with throughout the year, but it’s vital for me to have a small group of guys who meet multiple times per month for the sake of growing in Christ together.
We pray together. This has been one of the biggest growth areas in my life over the last ten years as your Senior Pastor. Thus, there are many opportunities at FPC to simply gather together for prayer (for example: 2nd Sundays, Friday mornings, and a new offering on Monday mornings). Praying together for the church, the world and one another builds community in Christ.
How do we build Christ-centered community together? A few staples should be eating together, serving together, worshiping together, discipling together and praying together. Is there one of these that the Holy Spirit is nudging you toward today? You need the Christian community, and the Christian community needs you. May we pursue that community in Christ together so that FPC might more and more be a living example of 1 Thessalonians 5:11.
Blessings,
Jeremy
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