Last Sunday night was an exciting time as we started our new Community Dinners. This is an initiative of some of our young adults who worship at the evening service.
The concept is that each Sunday night, at 5pm, we will host a dinner for members of the community. Everyone is welcome to come and be part of it. Good food and a welcoming atmosphere is essential to building a sense of community. However, this is more than providing food. We are seeking to build a community of love and trust where authentic and genuine relationships can thrive. It is our prayer and hope that as we build these relationships that we can share the good news of the gospel and draw people into a living relationship with Jesus Christ.
We have also started hosting monthly picnics for our young families. These picnics take place in a local park. These picnics are about building relationships among the young families of Emmanuel. In the busyness of life, finding the time to stop and relate to others who are equally busy can be very difficult. But we know that strong healthy relationships are important for our life together as a congregation.
These are exciting new initiatives being introduced to our congregation. They speak of the vitality and health of our congregation. Thriving congregations display characteristics of growth. Their members have an optimistic view of the future. They are making plans and moving toward the future that God has for them. In thriving congregations, members are willing to risk new ways of doing things and try new initiatives. At the same time members are willing to discontinue past activities that are no longer viable in the present. By all these criteria Emmanuel is a thriving congregation. I think it’s great to be part of such a congregation, I hope you feel like that too.
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