The following article is written by Max Kerr, a new friend at GCC who has figured out how to come out of isolation and connect with people. He says it well. Enjoy.
You can sit among thousands and still feel alone.
It happens every weekend at GCC.
It’s amazing how easy it is to feel alone in a crowd.
Have you ever felt this way? I’ve been there.
Sometimes it’s nice to walk into a church where you are known by no one, because you can truly recharge without any responsibility. If you’ve been pouring your life into others throughout the week this is something you might need.
I can identify with that. I totally understand the need for a boost. I love coming to Granger Community Church and being filled up through the weekend services.
It’s simply the nature of a large church, like the Granger Campus, that people can slip in and out anonymously. That’s not good or bad, it just is.
The problem is when that’s the extent of my church experience – when it begins and ends with a weekend service.
CHURCH ATTENDEES ANONYMOUS
It’s easy to keep your distance. It’s easy to stay uninvolved. It’s easy to avoid people even when you’re sitting among 2,000 of them.
You figure someone else will get the job done. After all, Granger is huge. You might think, “They don’t need my help.”
Well that’s a lie. And it isn’t what God has in mind for us.
“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” 1 Peter 4:10
Yes, church is a time for you and I to be poured into. We need that. GCC is very good at bringing some of up there down here.
But at some point I have to help with the feeding. At some point I must stop merely going to church, and be the church.
This was a tension I dealt with for a couple of months after I began attending GCC. I felt the call of Christ to get involved. I knew I couldn’t merely spectate anymore.
It was time to jump in.
SWIMMING OUT OF THE SHALLOW END
I felt the pull to get involved for awhile. Then GCC began a big volunteer push.
It was at this point that I officially ran out of excuses.
Honestly, I couldn’t make myself visit the volunteer tables after service the first weekend. Fear held me back. I have a friend (I know, right?) who likes to say “Fear is a lie.” This is a good quote that he probably stole from someone.
Thank God for second chances and second volunteer weekends. They go hand in hand. And do you know what happened when I marshalled the courage (after my wife pushed me) to approach the volunteer tables that second weekend?
Absolutely nothing awful.
I didn’t get eaten by a bear or slapped in the face with a raw marlin. It wasn’t that bad.
Fast forward to now.
I volunteer with the communications department nearly every week.
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I’ve been involved in multiple awesome projects.
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I now know a bunch of people at Granger and they’re all fantastic.
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I’d estimate I know about 1000% more people than when I began attending.
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Seriously.
As my wife likes to say, “We wouldn’t know anyone at Granger if it weren’t for you.” That’s not true. Now we know EVERYONE.
TURN IN YOUR CRUTCH, PLEASE
So if you aren’t volunteering or getting more connected, why not? What’s holding you back?
Is it fear? Is it time? What are your excuses?
Here’s something to think about.
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” – Matthew 25: 35-36
The church is everywhere its people are. You can be anywhere and serve Jesus. Do so with some of the folks from Granger Community Church. Get connected!
You just have to get started.
1. Visit the volunteer page.
2. Pick something.
3. Take action and get in touch with someone.
Yep. That’s pretty much it.
You can hold babies, clean floors, donate food and clothing, do improv, play an instrument at services, visit the sick, greet people at events, and much more.
Not ready to volunteer?
Join a Bible study or a small group. Watch Open Road at someone’s house you’ve never met. Participate in a workshop like Beyond I Do. Where there was once just a crowd there will now be connections.
Do something outside of your comfort zone. You won’t regret it. You’ll meet so many awesome loving people you won’t know what to do.
You might even meet me.
Start connecting.
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