It’s our vision that every person who calls Bethany Place his or her church home would receive a weekly touch from the church, whether that happens face-to-face, through a phone call or text, or even a handwritten note. The most effective way to make these connections is through face-to-face interactions within Community Fellowship Groups (formerly Sunday School). Our First Responders are those who regularly attend these Groups: the members, leaders, and deacons of the class. We encourage everyone to join one of the many Community Fellowship Groups that meet at Bethany Place on Sunday mornings.

As regular attenders of a Community Group, we then make it our personal responsibility to identify those who are missing each week and reach out to them. It is better to receive multiple phone calls because we overslept than to believe no one even noticed we were not there. In this way and in many other tangible acts of care, we practically demonstrate love for one another. It is never a stretch to tell someone, “Our group is incomplete when you are not here.”

It is also our responsibility as a regular attender of a Community Group to notify someone within our group if we cannot attend for an extended period of time. It is a blessing to care for the needs of others, but when those needs are not made known to the Group, it cheats others out of that blessing and wounds those who would have considered it an honor to minister to us.

For us to bond as the body of Christ, it is critical that we all learn to effectively care for one another. Practical, hands-on care flows both to and from one another, primarily within a Community Fellowship Group. If you need to connect to a Community Fellowship Group, someone at the Welcome Desk will gladly help you find a group and lead you to the room where that group meets. You could also speak with one of the Elders if you need help identifying the best place for you to plug in to love and be loved, serve and be served, and to know and be known.

This Sunday, the Colossians series continues with a message titled, Rethinking Thoughts and Prayers. I’ve lived with the following verse over the past few days and it has challenged me to think differently about the way I pray.

Colossians 4:2 (ESV)  Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

Applying this passage specifically will help us to develop a healthy spiritual awareness. It will help us to dig out of prayer ruts, which will lead to continual transformation in our words and actions. I can’t wait to share with you what God has driven deep into my heart over these recent days from this verse and all of Col. 4:2-6.