One Accord – Coming from the Community Team in 2026! Join Us – Sunday January 4th - 9:30am – Fellowship Hall
You know, over the past year, God has really been reminding me of something simple but powerful: community is not optional for the Christian life. It’s essential. It’s the environment where God grows us—not just spiritually, but emotionally, relationally, and in our obedience.
When we look at Scripture, we don’t see isolated believers doing their own thing. We see people who shared life. Who knew one another. Who carried each other’s burdens. Who sharpened one another. Acts 2 says they were “devoted to fellowship”—not casually interested, but devoted. And Hebrews 10:24–25 tells us to “consider how to stir one another up to love and good works… not neglecting to meet together, but encouraging one another.” Real community is part of God’s design for us.
But here’s the part that’s harder to swallow: real community will almost always push us outside our comfort zone. It rarely fits neatly into our routines. It’s seldom convenient. And it definitely won’t happen by accident.
We naturally gravitate toward what’s familiar—our friend groups, our usual conversations, the people we already know. But if we only stay within those circles, we unintentionally shrink the body of Christ down to the size of our comfort zone. And God has called us to something so much bigger.
The truth is, we cannot become like Christ in isolation. The fruit of the Spirit—love, patience, kindness, gentleness—only grows in the soil of real relationships. It’s easy to be patient when no one is stretching you. It’s easy to be loving when you’re only around people who think like you. Growth happens when we meet new people, hear new stories, and allow God to stretch us through connections we wouldn’t have made on our own.
God uses people to shape us. Proverbs 27:17 reminds us, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” But sharpening only happens with closeness and contact—real conversation, real community, real connection.
And the enemy knows this. Isolation is spiritually dangerous. When we’re disconnected, we’re more vulnerable—to discouragement, distraction, and temptation. Community protects us, anchors us, and reminds us who we belong to.
But here’s the beautiful thing: when we step outside what’s comfortable and intentionally connect with people we haven’t met yet, something powerful happens. Not only do we grow, but our church grows stronger. Unity deepens. Walls fall. And the watching world sees something that looks like Jesus—people who love one another on purpose.
Real community costs something. It costs our comfort. It costs our convenience. It costs the courage to walk across a room or sit at a new table or introduce ourselves to someone we don’t know yet. But it is absolutely worth it.
A new initiative – will begin in 2026 to help us build community. One time each quarter we will host; One Accord, during the Sunday school hour. “One accord” appears in Scripture to describe believers gathered together with unity of heart and purpose (Acts 1:14; Acts 2:1; Romans 15:6). It reflects the kind of Christ-centered unity we desire in our church body.
Our first meeting will be Sunday January 4th at 9:30 am, during the Pathways hour. The fellowship hall will be stocked with coffee and conversation cards. Please come, sit by someone you haven’t met, and build a bridge toward deeper connection.
- Shayna Dodd, Community Team Leader
**Dates will be shared in the bulletin and during Sunday announcements as each gathering approaches.