We talked about cultivating community within our church and then we truly practiced it...
I was also blessed with some birthday surprises from my amazing church!
Here's some highlights from our discussion:
The apostle Paul said...You are joined together with peace through the Spirit, so MAKE EVERY EFFORT to continue together in this way...
Relationships are HARDWORK!
Rick Warren said...If you're tired of fake fellowship and you would like to cultivate real fellowship and a loving community in your church, you'll need to make some tough choices and take some risks...
Cultivating community takes HONESTY!
The tunnel of conflict is the passageway to intimacy in any relationship.
WHEN CONFLICT IS HANDLED CORRECTLY, we grow closer to each other by facing and resolving our differences.
Cultivating community takes HUMILITY!
PRIDE destroys fellowship faster than anything else.
You can develop humility in very practical ways: by admitting your weaknesses, by being patient with others' weaknesses, by being open to correction, and by pointing the spotlight on others!
HUMILITY IS NOT THINKING LESS OF YOURSELF; IT IS THINKING OF YOURSELF LESS!
Cultivating community takes COURTESY!
Courtesy is respecting our differences, being considerate of each other's feelings, and being patient with people who irritate us!
Cultivating community takes CONFIDENTIALITY!
GOD HATES GOSSIP!
Cultivating community takes FREQUENCY!
Relationships take time.
We are to develop the HABIT of meeting together.
Characteristics of BIBLICAL FELLOWSHIP: We will share our true feelings (authenticity), encourage each other (mutuality), support each other (sympathy), forgive each other (mercy), speak the truth in love (honesty), admit our weaknesses (humility), respect our differences (courtesy), not gossip (confidentiality), and make church a priority (frequency)...
PS...
I'm so looking forward to some events that were planned during our brainstorming Sun. Eve!
The Kinnamans are inviting us all out to their ranch on Sunday, September 26 for a night of fun! Hayride at 4pm, Potluck at 6pm...PUT IT ON YOUR CALENDAR!
OH AND...
We are having another missions dinner this Sunday Evening! Sorry about the late notice, It will be a potluck so please bring something yummy to share...
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