Fellowship

My soon-to-be-a-pastor friend Jason said something today to which I say "I second that":

"Basically, the long and short of this (but mostly the short) is that church is not always just about Sunday morning worship and Bible study. Church is about people spending time together with the ultimate goal of having faith in Christ and living a life that pleases God. But sometimes we have to start in other places, doing things that people do on their own. Sometimes that means starting a new hobby or revelling in one you already have, being sure to spend time with people who are Christian and non-Christian. The opportunity to tell people the Gospel is not mainly at church or by giving out Bible tracts at the local mall (which, by the way, is not usually a good idea); it is mainly when we spend time with people, being their friends and getting to know them. Only when we get to know our friends and their backgrounds
will they care to know us and our faith; only when we spend time doing what other people enjoy doing will they come do what we enjoy (or hopefully should enjoy): going to church and Bible study. Otherwise, we are just whistling Dixie."

Being involved at church is important, but even more important is being a Christian example and a caring friend to the non-believers that surround us. This is important for me to remember as I prepare to move and plant roots in a new place. The nice little bubble that I grew up in is about to be striped away, but God will still be there, so I'm ready for it...