Stepping Into Community

By: Sarah Hogue, Director of Children’s Ministry

This past weekend, we had our confirmation bonfire, using our beautiful new firepit built by a team of volunteers from our church. The bonfire is the first extracurricular event of the year for our confirmation class. This year’s class has 20 students from multiple school districts and multiple grade levels. We added the bonfire activity a few years ago in order to give the students a chance to bond at the beginning of the year. With students coming from various schools, many don’t know each other. The bonfire is a great way to break the ice and create new bonds in the class.

This past Friday was exceptional in that 85% of the students attended and they became fast friends. They came together through self-directed games, hanging out, talking, and sharing. It was a beautiful evening and sets this class up for an amazing year. More than that, it sets them up to feel confident when they transition into Dutilh Student Ministry next year. Knowing you have a community of friends to walk beside you makes new situations feel more comfortable.

The same is true for adults. It is difficult to be the new person in the room, feeling like you do not have a community to which to belong. You may remember what it feels like to be a new guest to a church, wondering if anybody will speak to you. That’s why our church tries to create intentional space for connection, so that those willing to brave being new don’t have to wait long before finding an invitation into community. There is no way to change the fact that the first step into our church brings some discomfort, but our hope is to alleviate that discomfort quickly by helping people find new connections and friendships, making it much easier to come back to church.

In Hebrews 10, God calls us to be in fellowship with one another, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” The Greek word for this concept of community is Koinonia, describing a deep and active spiritual community among believers.

Those first steps into a new situation can be uncomfortable. Joining the Women’s Ministry (Graceful and Grateful) or Men’s Ministry, singing in the choir, helping in the kitchen, attending one of our many small groups are just a few of the ways you can take that first step toward finding community in our church. You might be nervous that first time, just as these students were this past weekend, but it gets easier as you build that sense of Koinonia. My prayer for each of you is that you will find deep and spiritually meaningful community at Dutilh Church.