Becoming a Part

If you are apart from something, it means you do not belong to it. If you are a part of something, it means you do belong to it. Have you ever stopped to think about what it takes to go from apart to a part? Or vice versa?

It's all about involvement and taking a step in the right direction, whichever direction is best. Sometimes taking steps away are best, especially when you are involved in something wrong or unhealthy, and that could be something others think is perfectly okay. But that is not what I am going to write about.

I am a fairly quiet person when people first meet me. When I first join a group, I don't necessarily jump right in and start introducing myself to everyone. It is for people like me that it is very helpful for groups (and I really mean churches) to have "get-to-know-us" type events. It helps to be with others who are also trying to acclimate themselves.

When my family first started attending Vineyard KC North, I did not know anyone that currently went there. I had been the AWANA leader years ago of a young woman who attended Vineyard, but she had since moved to Colorado, and I hadn't had contact with her for many years. My husband knew a married couple there, so he was doing better than I was.

Vineyard offers assimilation classes, Vineyard 101 and Vineyard 201. My husband and I attended Vineyard 101. Everything seemed to check out, so we continued on to Vineyard 201. Through the course of the two classes, we met some lovely people and learned a lot about the church and its mission to our community and world.

In the Fall, we decided to take the Alpha class so that our son would take it. The Alpha class answers some of the most basic questions about Christianity. We felt it would give our son a good foundation in his faith. We did learn, and we made even more friends.

As a result of taking the Vineyard 201 class, we felt that it would be a good idea to find a small group to join. But which one? Would they even want us? Would it be like so many churches, where everyone else already had their groups of friends and didn't really need or want to include me? I needn't have worried. At the end of Alpha it was announced that a couple were going to start a small group. If we were interested, we could sign up, which we did. We have a great group (and you can come join us if you want).

I was invited to start a small group of my own. I attended a small group of people interested in beginning small groups. I decided that I wanted my group to be a women's group, and with the help of others, that group started this past Friday.

Then Friday evening and Saturday morning my husband and I attended a class on How to Minister Like Jesus. I knew from the description it was going to focus on praying and ministering to other people, but I did not know until I got there that there would be "ministry time." My only other experience of that was during the Holy Spirit weekend at Alpha, and that was an uncomfortable time for me. I am very often fearful of that which I do not understand. Again, I needn't have worried. As I let the Holy Spirit work, I found myself going with the flow and actually looking forward to what He wanted to do. It was a very meaningful weekend.

So what does all of this have to do with being apart or a part? For me to make that transition, all I had to do was take the next step, and then the next step. Who but God knows what awaits, but I know that I can trust Him. He has given me courage all along the way to step out of my comfort zone again and again.

Come on! Take your shoes off and dip your toes in! Then keep going steadily. Become a part of what God is doing!