Discuss: 1) What makes you feel like an attendee at church? 2) What makes you feel like someone who belongs to your church? 3) Write a prayer asking God to show you how to genuinely receive love and also show Christ’s love to others in your church.
Knowing Him 50: Obedient Leadership
Introduction Peter leads a large group of disciples to an isolated (perhaps secretive) meeting where Jesus will once again give them their marching orders. Then they make their way back to Jerusalem to await the coming Holy Spirit as the movement switches into its...
(from Roger)
1) interesting questions today. For me, the more I attend, the more I feel like I belong. I feel like an attendee because I still pick and choose what functions I attend. I honestly try to make it to any function that is normally presented within the scope of the church. I know many times for me that if I bring the body, the mind will follow. Sometimes I get anxiety attending church functions whether it’s serving others or small groups because my head tells me that I don’t have much to contribute but I go anyways, many times to have my spirit fed. I know that’s not the right intention but I can develop new rhythms, I can develop a new mindset.
2) the things that make me feel like I belong to the church are the relationships I’ve built and are continuing to build. I genuinely care abt what’s going on in others lives and I include them in my prayers. I want to get to the point where I don’t examine situations for their transactional value or what I’ll be able to get out of them. It’s progress, not perfection. I know, through god, my heart and my beliefs are changing and for that I’m truly grateful.
3) god, grant me the capacity to understand the difference between being an attendee and to “belong” to the church and your people. Continue to give me the eagerness to listen to others suggestions and not think I have the only idea that works. Soften my heart and my defenses so I can build real relationships with your family at rp and the world around me and allow me to not just give love but receive it so that I know I’m deserving of love too. In Jesus name I pray
1. and 2. At Fastbreak, I got to learn what it means to belong to a family or a church as a matter of fact. The difference between being a member and an attendee is that a member would always find a way to commit to the church even if the member is not present. An attendee could be going to the church every week, more than a member, but they just go there for the sake of being there and not committing to the God’s family. A member would allow himself to be fully known and fully loved by other members of the church, but attendees would remain so hidden and isolated from the family. Therefore, I feel like I am an attendee when there is no opportunity to have fellowship with the church and when I am not connected to the members of the church. I feel like I belong to a church when I am engaged in other people’s lives and when I am allowing myself to be fully known and fully loved with the members.
3. Dear God, thank You for everything You have done by giving me the opportunity to be part of your family. Please continue to show me how to genuinely receive and show love to people at RP, my school, and my own family. Thank You for showing what it means to be fully known and fully loved. I pray in Jesus Name, Amen.
I think the openess the church provides and the comfort I feel and see. Going to church at RP feels like a breathe of fresh air because of the people there and the knowledge that we are going to worship God. I think what makes me feel like I belong is the willingness that people turn to me to help and the willingness of people to help me out and we all have the same common goal and that is we know we are serving the Lord
Amy
1. When I do not want to commit to do anything, I just want to show up and worship quietly.
2. When I feel I contributed as part of the community, I want to commit to help my brothers and sisters in Christ.
3. I pray the roots of love would burrow deep in my heart and bring forth life. Help me to love with greater love. Help me to reflect and image you as I love others. Help me to radiate the love that lives within me through your Spirit to those around me. Help me to live out the love you’ve shown me in Christ in my thoughts, words, and deeds. Your word says that love never fails. I thank you that even though my love for you falters and even though I flounder in my love for others, your love for me in Christ will never fail. It will endure to the end. Nothing can separate me from you. Reshape my heart this day to love you and others. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
1) I feel like I am attending church when I contribute to the church and PR community. Right now, I help serve food to people every Sunday, which is not a very big contribution, but I would like to continue this routine even if it’s a small thing.
2) I feel like I belong to RP when I realize the relationships I’ve made with God and RP members. I literally start from scratch in terms of being a Christian and a member of RP.
3) Dear God, thank you for giving me this wonderful new day. I woke up this morning full of blessings. I kindly ask you to show me how I can receive generous love and how I can tell and show your love to others in my church. Thank you for your unwavering love and grace. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
From Cyndi
Attendees attend church without any commitment or responsibilities.
Someone who belongs to the church is serving and involved in the ministry. They share their life, contribute, and are connected to the church by supporting the church through tithing, prayer, volunteering their time to serve and in ministries. Also being in a small group/community, sharing faith and being raw and open..living life with other church members.
Dear God I pray that I continue to show genuine love and be intentional and connect and reach out to others at church. Also to pray more for our church and the leaders and members of the church. Help me to reach out and connect with new people that come to our church. Thank you for RP church and the CPR group.
I have a connect to my church. I did not feel like I belonged in the beginning. I felt really disconnect with everyone there. But I started attending more often and talking to more people and I started to feel more connected. I have a connect with the people at church and I’m thankful for it because God have me a feeling to come back to God. I pray to God asking him to show me how to receive more love and how to show Christ’s love to others. I thank him for everything he has done for me.
I feel like only an attendee when I come and go with limited interactions with others or when I attend out of routine. Life’s busyness sometimes robs me of opportunities to spend time, unhurried, engaging and investing in people.
On the flip side, I feel like someone who belongs when there is genuine care given to and received from others. I always enjoy the time before and after service to hear about what people are going through and invest time to be together with others. Having those relationships continue through the week either through small groups or through normal daily life also helps me feel a sense of community and belonging.
Lord God, help me not get trapped into life’s busyness but value the time spent with people in the church community. Help me have a heart that cares and loves others and that I would demonstrate it not only through time spent, but with words of encouragement, through prayers of petition and through tangible actions.
For me I feel like an attendee when I come and be in the moment, I know I can come to church as I am and feel like an attendee. Thats why I really enjoyed RP i was able to be my authentic self and get to know you guys really well. I appreciate that very much from you guys. I felt like i belong when the first time I missed church after regularly attending I got a text from tu asking where i was. As I was going to different churches in the area no one else asked me anything when I stopped going. RP was the first and even in the last week when I wasn’t there Jenny messaged the chat asking where I was, that small gesture really went a long way for me and shows me that you guys care. Dear God please help me show love to the people in church I haven’t connected with yet, and thanks for opening ways for me to receive love.