My family is a part of a bigger family. Our Fellowship Bible Church family, and even bigger than that. We are part of God’s family. Being a part of this family means we are called to live on mission in community with each other. Let me tell you. There is no greater joy than knowing you have an army of people surrounding you, only wanting is best for you and your family. People who aren’t afraid to tell you the hard stuff. People who aren’t afraid of the skeletons in your closet, in fact, they love you so much they want to help you over come those skeletons. People who don’t condemn you. Don’t look down upon you. Don’t judge you. They just love you. Love you completely, where you are.
How amazing is that?!
How often to we encounter that. Not very often. So I want to share with you why living on mission in community is so important to me and what it looks like.
It looks like a mom of 3 volunteering get up early and watch your kid before the 9:30 gathering, because you are working a 12 hour shift and your husband needs to help set up the gathering. (The gathering is what we call our sunday morning service. We meet in a theater so we have to set it up and tear it down weekly.)
It looks like a text from a friend saying they missed you today.
It looks like a video from a friend of your little girl playing, because you were working and couldn’t make it to the birthday party. (Fellowship Bible just turned 2! So we had a party)
It looks like another friend sending you a picture of your little girl cleaning up afterwards.
It looks like your little girl serving at the age of 2, by helping clean up.
It looks like an army of people willing to step up and help take care of your kid while you work.
It looks like friends who listen to your story with no judgement.
It looks like friends who will drop what they are doing to help a friend or even a stranger in need.
It looks like an army of parents all trying to raise their kids with Godly intentions. We want a heart transformation not behavior modification.
It looks like a shoulder to cry on, a person to vent to.
It looks like cook outs because you haven’t gotten together in a while.
It looks like friendships you can’t imagine not ever having.
It looks like the face of strangers as you feed them a hot meal.
It looks like the face of foster families as you give them an outlet to fellowship with other foster families.
It looks like the face of parents who are thankful for the free sports equipment they couldn’t afford.
It looks like addicts getting their kids back and remaining sober.
It looks like a town of hungry people being fed.
It looks messy.
It looks crazy.
It looks chaotic.
It looks like grace.
It looks like family.
So to my Fellowship Family thank you. Thank you for embracing me and my family no matter how broken we were/are. Thank you for loving us like Jesus loves us. Thank you for being a picture of the heavenly father.
Thank you for being family.
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From my heart to yours
Grace Lives Here 
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