We were waiting in the Coles (supermarket) car park one Sunday morning before church. Along she came, walking towards us. My new Athiest friend. It’s no secret, she’s quite honest about it. But the statement she made this morning caught me off guard.

“Good morning, off to church are we? Ah, one of the perks of being an Athiest! Don’t have to go.”

My mind took a while to get my head around what she was saying. I think I laughed it off as she continued on her way. Then I got thinking…

Really? Is it a ‘perk’ to not meet up with some of God’s people? If only she knew the irony in what she was saying. She was dead to Christ and yet somehow that’s a perk!?

Paul knew the value of meeting together as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Not just ‘in a church’, but in town, in our homes, in the workplace, in the school yard.

Not the

Scrape.
Together.
Time .
On.
A.
Sunday.
Morning.
But.
. Not.
For.
Too.
Long.

Every Church family is different. Many strengths, many weaknesses. Wherever people are together, conflict is inevitable.

Faith, Christ and Fellowship go powerfully hand in hand as believers.

While some Church families may be in messy predicaments at the moment – which is really sad and difficult to deal with – we need to seek out fellowship. The kind of fellowship that is biblically founded, where we experience Christ-like, fruit of the Spirit growth and the spurring on of good deeds between each other.

Fellowship should not just be sought on Sunday morning followed by a religious invitation of someone for lunch, but throughout the week we should be engaging with other believers , and sharing in this life that God has given us, to Glorify Him and Enjoy Him.

We’ve recently been a part of a joining together of 2 church families locally. What a privilege. So many great things have come out of the process so far. One has been watching God match gifts with needs, lack with abundance. It hasn’t been without sad bits too. Change tends to rattle us at the best of times. I love our Church family, but fellowship isn’t limited to just them, we have invested time into other Christian relationships for different purposes – teaching, accountability, refreshing, guiding, discipling etc.

Is fellowship with other believers a perk for you?

If it’s more of a task than a perk I pray that you may persevere, draw near to God and that He may teach you and guide you to a place where fellowship may give you great joy and peace and satisfaction in a community where God’s Word is taught and honoured, where Jesus’ blood is precious and where God’s Spirit is sought to empower.

Until next time,
Erin