Who Is That Stranger At Emmanuel?

Hello Church,

We want to set an objective for each of you:  make a new friend at Emmanuel.

We know some of you have many friends at Emmanuel.  We want you to make just one more.  Here is why:

We had a good Leadership Team meeting on Monday.  Our mission continues and most of you are getting it.  Our attention has shifted.  For the rest of the year, we want us to focus on relationships within the church.  We want to create an environment where we can be more tight-nit.  We want more genuine friendships to emerge.  We want love to flow... not just in a biblical because-Jesus-says-so kind of way, but in a I-can't-wait-to-see-my-friend-on-Sunday kind of way.

Here is the tricky part:  it can't be forced.  It should be organic.  Making a friend because church leadership says so isn't authentic.  It becomes just another task.  And tasks are things we are trying to get away from... at least until next year.

So our encouragement to you is to bring out your authentic self at church and be conversational with others.  Be yourself and don't be afraid to get to know each other.  I bet there is at least one person at Emmanuel you don't know.

I tighter-nit church will have advantages when the time comes to get back to being busy.  Yes, we have an agenda.  We have a vision.  I have a plan.  It will be in accordance with the church and the Holy Spirit.  Part of that is, for now, to be still and just know each other... .and know God even better.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe