“They devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the Apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as they had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:42-47).

God created humanity in His image. Spiritually. He created you and me in His spiritual image. No one can be you but you. No one can be me but me. We are unique in the way we reveal faith to others. Pretty profound stuff, if you ask me . . .

God exists in community. Father, Son, and Spirit. We, too, are created to exist in community. With the Trinity and with one another.

A mark of Christian maturity is how we go about intentionally and intelligently ministering to others. Specifically, how we minister to the spiritual needs of each and every person with whom we come into a close proximity. How we minister to those who are “churched”, who are part of faith. And how we minister to those who are “unchurched”, those who have little or no experience in faith. However, a crucial demographic that we are to be so very intentional in our ministering, is to those who are “dechurched”. And what do I mean by “dechurched” is that we are intentional in our ministry to those who have had bad experiences in organized religion. That we are intentional in our care and in our nurture and in our ministry to those who have come to have an invalid poor opinion of Christ, because of a valid poor opinion of those who wear His name.

To facilitate a community of Christian “refugees”. Where Christian refugees feel safe and protected. To foster a community of refugees . . . sounds an awful lot like the Kingdom of God!

May we glorify God in all of our actions! ~~ from “Reeves’ Rhetoric formerly West Erwin church of Christ, Tyler, Texas