In the midst of a pretty large transition, it is possible to develop some confusion. ReCAST Church recently changed venues and also went back to one service from two services. I have received some feedback from several people that they have been experiencing some relational whiplash that I want to address here in my blog.
Our growth map is that we desire everyone at ReCAST to be growing in faith, community and service. And on this subject of community, we want everyone to recognize that growing in deeper relationships within our growing church is vital to growing in our relationship to God.
But then along comes a move to a new building and suddenly everyone is all together in one service. From my perspective it is exciting and energizing to see a large room filled with a bunch of people all worshiping God. But I am a pastor AND I am an extrovert!
Not everyone will experience this transition in the same way. Someone who is an introvert that enjoyed attending the smaller and more subdued 9am service may find themselves overwhelmed by a lot of new faces and even the size of the venue can be overwhelming.
The fact is, that in community, God has designed each person in a different way. Some are totally comfortable swimming in the large room with tons of people. Others are longing for the comfort of the inflatable pool that lent itself to more quiet and deeper connections.
As the church grows, my prayer is that we can continue to help all people who call ReCAST Church their home to grow in community. And that doesn’t mean that the introvert must become an extrovert or vice versa. It means that we all need to recognize our need for community and the community’s need for us!
Some are the masters of a couple of deeper relationships. Awesome! I encourage you to use those deeper relationships for the glory of God. Don’t feel like being in a larger gathering requires you to become more shallow and diverse in your relationships. And some of you are masters of a whole variety of relationships and a large group gathering is where you make new connections and rub shoulders with someone new every week. Awesome! God has equally given you an opportunity to use that winsome personality to make others feels comfortable and connected.
I am not suggesting at all that we should not be relationally stretched, but I want to make sure that everyone acknowledges that growing in community doesn’t require you to become something you are not. It merely requires you to value others in the body of Christ and recognize that you DO NEED relationships in order to grow up into the person God has made you to be. I rejoice that God has seen fit to give to ReCAST Church introverts and extroverts, who are using their unique personalities, to grow in faith, community and service!
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