Last Christmas I attended the main Worship Service at
Central Church. The Sanctuary was packed, but I saw quite a few faces
that I did not recognize. Sure, some of them were out-town-relatives who
had come to Summit to celebrate Christmas with their family. But, some
faces I did recognize, even though they seldom attend our Worship and have
little apparent connection with CPC other than attending Christmas and Easter
services. Some of us call them "C.E.O's", meaning Christmas and
Easter only.
While some of these folks volunteer for charitable causes
outside the church, and that is much appreciated, that usually happens in a
secular context. It may be hard for them to connect that charitable
activity with their faith. But, is that really so bad? We all make
choices in how we spend our time, and sometimes of course, the choice is made
quite selfishly.
But I wonder if there is some way to make these
"volunteer" choices, and at the same time use our choices to
strengthen and clarify our faith, perhaps by working closely with "the
body of Christ," as some people call the church? It seems to me that
extending ourselves to others in our church family, or working with
other CPC members to extend ourselves to outsiders, has the advantage that we
already share some important values with each other, and can more efficiently
"make a difference." Isn't this the essence of what Jesus
sought in us? What can each of us do today to be more consciously
participatory with other members of our church? How can we strengthen our
community in Christ, stimulate our own spiritual journeys and fulfill our
mission to bring others to Christ in a loving, supportive and safe manner?
What Can Each Person Do?
1.) Sit somewhere different in our Sanctuary
each Sunday for the next eight weeks. Each week identify at least two
individuals that you don't know, introduce yourself and invite them to Take Ten
for coffee after our Worship Service.
2.) When you see someone or a couple obviously new and
unfamiliar with our Worship Service, introduce them to an Usher (Deacon) who
will record their name and some contact information.
3.) Volunteer to be part of a CPC activity that makes
you comfortably uncomfortable and creates an impact on others. Perhaps it
could be working with the homeless, or at a food pantry, o being still and
listening to a friend or colleague in an assisted-living home.
4.) Demonstrate active listening that shows empathy
towards others who may be unfamiliar to you.
5.) Become more familiar with your inner self
----- with your biases and assumptions about strangers, and do not let
these pre-conceived ideas interfere with your personal relationships or
with church-member interactions.
6.) When you see someone standing alone while you are
in a group, invite them to join you. The intentional act of invitation
sends a powerful signal of inclusion.
7.) If you have a particular skill, interest or
experience relevant to the CPC "body of Christ", be proactive as you
engage that gift. Do not wait to be discovered and asked. Make your
interest and willingness to serve known to the leadership of the church.
Even a stable, long-standing congregation like CPC's can
have more work to do to ensure that it's congregational culture continues to
encourage strong participation by members. It doesn't "just
happen." Our CPC participation must be more than just attending
Worship Services on Sunday mornings for an hour.
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These thoughts are brought to you by the Adult Spiritual
Education Team at CPC, hoping to encourage your personal spiritual
growth this Spring.
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