“The strength of this vital defensive construction required wholehearted commitment to the same shared vision; structural integrity was the result of human connection.”

Steve Aisthorpe, Rewilding Church, reviewing Nehemiah 3

Last week was all about looking for those in your circle who are missing from church; those who feel like they don’t fit in or who aren’t accepting of every part of the Christian narrative. This week we’re looking at how connections with our brothers and sisters help us see great things through Him.

As we have explored previously in this series, there are three main tasks for us as Christians:

1. Fix our eyes on Jesus and the big picture of his kingdom coming and redemption of all creation.
2. Discern and faithfully fulfil our unique and vital contribution.
3. Cultivate the kind of connections that create profound and powerful partnerships, rooted in relationships.

Simply put we need to follow Him and what He calls us to do as individuals and as a whole, trust in Him and love our neighbours as ourselves. It is that latter part that helps us find and check in with those who are missing to draw them closer. It is also that bit that enables us to lean on each other to learn, grow and walk in faith together.

Often those who have left the Church, or deem themselves spiritual rather than religious, speak of finding deep fellowship in informal friendship with a few others, and that this gives them more opportunity to live out their faith in real life, than congregational settings do. We need to leave behind the old school thinking of attending a church building on Sundays as being the only way to be a part of Christianity. Church is not a building, but in fact the people who believe, with shared values, and that is who we as Church At Barking Riverside are trying to be: a church with no walls.

“It is in vain rise early and go to bed late, because God gives sleep to those he loves”

Psalm 127:2

But the idea is not to keep ourselves busy for busyness sake. As individuals and as church, we need to focus on one or two things that He has put in our heart, rather than trying to complete everything we have in mind. We also need to let go of the notion of doing things to be seen to be doing good, whether it be for ourselves or the community. We need to be authentic in all we do. We need to put our trust in Him and spend time listening to what He is telling us. From there we can put our heart and soul into what He has called us to do, without fear.

So take the time, connect with your neighbours, your friends and family. Pray together, listen to Him, converse with Him and see what He’s putting in your heart as an individual and as a group. From there you can help each other meet your goals and hold each other accountable in order to see the fullness of all God has in mind. But the most important part is taking time to be prayerful regularly and remember God does the work, you just have to join in.

If you would like to get involved with us and our daily rhythm of prayer and worship together, you can join in here. If you’re looking for resources to help you and your immediate friends and family pray more together, check out our Connect With God page. But in the meantime, if you have any questions or would like to get to know more about us, feel free to email us or check out our socials

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram