"See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!" 1 John 3:1 (NLT)
Each one of us was created to be part of God’s family. Long before you were even a thought, God knew you and loved you. He designed you to be exactly who you are – uniquely you. He also designed you with a purpose. While we have a personal relationship with Christ, God wants us to belong to the family of believers. We were not designed to navigate our Christian journey alone.
Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life stresses the importance of being a part of a church family, which is key to helping you to grow in faith and find your purpose. According to Rick Warren, a church family:
Identifies you as a genuine believer
Moves you out of self-centered isolation
Helps you develop spiritual muscle
As we look forward to beginning a new church year, I would challenge you to find something to get involved with at our church and join it (Bible Study, youth, missions, Children’s ministry, music…). The church is not the building. It is you and me and the person in the pew next to us. We are the body of Christ, and the body of Christ needs you!
"In Christ we who are many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." Romans 12:5 (NIV)
Pastor Doug