I'm a member!

Tonight, I joined my church here in town. I'm really happy about it! I love so many things about my church, but I think that one of the things I love the most is the sense of community. It is a large church, but there are lots of small groups, and a lot of the people know each other. Of course, not everyone knows everyone else, but in general, it is pretty easy to keep from feeling lost.

I also really love the emphasis on service at the church. They have so many opportunities to get involved, and to minister to others. Everything from the normal nursery/sunday school types of things to helping out at the community skate park that the church has built. There is a big emphasis on reaching the community around the church, and making sure that it doesn't exist as its own commune type thing.

Despite this emphasis, there can be some tendency towards clique-ishness amongst the college group. It has been really hard to make friends, and I have been convicted of several things as I've thought about this over the summer.

1. Am I as open as I should be with my welcome? Do I welcome people into groups where I am comfortable? Or am I content to stay within the realm of the familiar?
2. Do I use my natural shyness as an excuse to keep from talking to people, both in this particular church setting, and whenever I am around people in general? Am I telling God that He can't use me in this way, because I'm too shy?
3. When I look at the community that I have built around myself, is there an emphasis on serving the people around me? Or have I become a contained commune?

As I become more involved in the church in the future, and continue to grow during these 40 days, it will be interesting to see what changes in these areas.