Vineyard Church of Knox County
A Relationship Place
It's an exciting time in our church right now. We are seeing God work in very real ways on Sunday mornings in the worship, teaching, and ministry time. People are genuinely encountering God at our Celebration Services. What else could we ask for?! And we are seeing more and more people visit us on Sunday mornings - over 80 visitors have blessed us so far!
As God brings more and more people to us, I regularly think of their basic need, that is, for meaningful relationships - with Jesus and with other Jesus-followers. Every person is wired for relationship: our teachers and students, our public officials, our plumbers and electricians, our bosses and co-workers, our parents and children, brothers and sisters - God made us that way! So, when I see all of the visitors come to the church, the question that is regularly on my mind is, how can we bring them closer to Jesus and closer to his body (his church)? How can we help to fulfill that basic need for meaningful relationships that every person has?
I know that I can’t do it on my own, so here are a few suggestions for you to help build our church to be a relationship place. First and foremost is to make your relationship with Jesus your highest priority by spending time with him in prayer, talking to him and listening to his Spirit through the Bible, and also committing to spending time with his people. When we spend time with Jesus and his body, our hearts will more and more beat in harmony with his (we become like those with whom we spend time, don’t we?), and we will realize that what is on his heart is people. Secondly, you can help me to create a very welcoming environment at our Celebration Services by committing yourself to warmly welcome at least one new person each week. If we do this simple act of kindness (all of us greeting at least one person we don’t know), I believe people will better realize the kind of love God has for them (and so will we!). It really is that simple. Finally, we believe that our need for meaningful relationships is best met in our home groups. Will you commit to inviting someone new to your home group each Sunday morning? Rarely will people visit a home group without being invited. So, please don’t rely on Sharon or me to invite people for you from the front. Love someone enough to personally invite him or her to your group.
If we all will commit to these three things - building our own relationship with Jesus and his body, warmly welcoming those we don’t know, and inviting new folks to our home groups. I believe that we will be helping to fulfill every person’s deep need for meaningful relationships. And then, through those relationships, we will see God work in very powerful ways.
Blessings,
Chris
