MATTHEW 18:20
“And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.” Matthew 18: 20 (the Message)
Have you ever thought of actively trying to meet new people just because you want to be able to invite them to join you on a journey of faith?
I was blown away by a couple requests I received recently from people involved in my church.
First, I got a text. “Molly, do you think I could come and volunteer for a few hours a week at the store just so I can get to know more people and with both of us there, it might be easier to talk about our church?” Later that day I got an email “Molly, what if a couple of us signed up for the day-trips organized through the local community college. They look like a lot of fun, and we’d have a chance to get to know some new people with similar interests to us. If there were two of us,
we could more easily talk about the church.” Jesus said “And when two or three are together because of me, you can be
sure I’ll be there too.” These women know that just by finding ways to be in community that God will be with them and who knows what God
will do. There doesn’t have to be anything pushy about “saving souls” of “getting new members”. But when you have something good to share, it is worth getting to know
new people in order to share it! More, these women are finding ways to do things TOGETHER because of God’s
work in their lives. They are going out in the world to meet new people – but they are doing it together.
AND they are doing it because of they want to be able to show the love they know through Jesus Christ.
Think God will show up? I do. Think God will start changing lives? I do. Think God will add to our numbers?
I do. Thanks be to God.
Prayer: God help me find ways to actively build new relationships in my life. Be
with me and shine through me so that your love will be felt as I invite others tojoin my faith journey.
Amen.
Molly Carlson serves as Minister of New Church Movement for the
CCNC-N and as pastor of Urban Shepherd in Modesto