The church

This weekend we explored the half-truth that says: you don't need the Church to connect with God. This is true if we mean that you don't need a church building to connect to God. We can connect with God anywhere and everywhere. But the Church is not primarily a building or an institution--the Church is the people of God. We absolutely need the Church in order to deepen our relationship with God and to become the people God has created us to be. In this weekend’s message we explored three specific reasons why we need the Church to connect to God. (If you missed it, you can watch it here.) We need the Church to connect with God which means we need to be connected to a local church--and not just connected, but actively involved and committed. Today, reflect on your commitment to your own local church, whether that’s New Roads or another church community. Reflect on your current connection with that church community, and then, select a concrete step to further your commitment to your local church. What does committing to a local church look like?

• Signing up to serve as a volunteer
• Serving in a new way, perhaps outside your comfort zone, in a ministry your church is looking to grow
• Increasing the amount of your weekly offering or making the move to online giving
• Sharing with a friend who doesn’t have a church the reasons you love your church and inviting them to be a part of yours, to join you on a specific Sunday

We need the Church to grow in relationship with God. Commit to a local church, love a local church, help make a local church great. Because the Church is not a building; the Church is God’s plan for connecting us to God and to one another, and for renewing the face of the earth.