I love that we are the midst of a five week series on family that we're calling Modern Families. Thank you so much for inviting your friends and family to join us! It's just such a great opportunity to invite people who wouldn't ordinarily come to church…and we're working hard to ensure there's plenty of room for you and your friends.
But today a deeper question…why do we put so much emphasis on family at Connexus? Here's what's behind our thinking:
- Family is universal. Even if we're not married or don't have children, we all came from a family and we're part of a family. Family shapes who we are. The strengths and weaknesses of family have a huge impact on who we are even today.
- Most of us are living in some kind of family arrangement. Even if our kids are grown, parents play a huge role in the life of a family.
- Most single people have kids in their lives – nephews, nieces, neighbours, kids of friends.
- God imagines a wider circle for families. When God gave advice about raising kids, he didn't just address parents. He addressed the entire nation and told them it was a collective responsibility.
Two other reasons make me very passionate about helping families through our ministry:
- People who don't go to church care about their families. A few years ago I came to the realization that the average unchurched family never lies awake at night wondering what I or any other preachers is going to talk about next on a Sunday morning. But every parent has laid awake at night wondering if their kids are going to be okay. While I'm passionate about teaching and preaching, I realized at that moment one of the best ways to start a conversation with a friend who doesn't go to church is to start talking about helping the family.
- Most of us try to apply any given message at home. Think about it…whatever series we're doing on a Sunday, most of us go home and try to apply whatever we've heard in predominantly three settings: at home, at work, or in our key relationships. To ignore family is to ignore where most of us try to live out our faith day to day.
I'm so grateful for Jenn Bailey, Jeff Brodie, Elissa Stoddart (our new children's ministry intern) and the 100+ volunteers who pour their heart and soul into families, kids and students every day.
How does the conversation about family impact you and your friends?
And – in light of all this – who do you think you might want to invite to come with you this Sunday? You can invite your friends to our Orillia campus here and our Barrie campus here.
– Carey
