Stephen Ministers April 2020

Community

by Lynn Armstrong

“Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” John 13:34

Community can be defined as “a feeling of fellowship with others as a result of sharing common attitudes, interest, and goals”. Community plays an important role in every aspect of our lives – our work, play, family, and faith. Being part of a community connects us to other people.

Unfortunately, last month brought significant challenges to how we interact with our communities. In our concern for one another, groups no longer meet in-person; schools have been closed; many are working from home or laid off from their jobs; sporting and social events have been canceled. Social distancing is now a thing. Elbow taps have replaced handshakes and hugs.

For many, these changes in how we are able to interact can bring loneliness, anxiety, grief, and fear. Fortunately, we are part of a caring faith community, which actively seeks ways to care for and walk with one another through life’s struggles. Stephen Ministry is one of several ministries First Christian Church supports in response to Jesus’ command, “Just as I have loved you, so you also should love one another.”

In a recent article in the Courier-Journal, written by G. Wade Rowatt, he suggested some guidelines for facing anxiety in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic:

“New threats may bring new doubts. Doubts can be a hole through which faith seeps away or the window through which new light shines … Where do we turn when all else fails? We turn to each other and lean into our faith, hope, and love.”

The motto for Stephen Ministry is “Christ caring for people through people”. We can all live into this motto by reaching out to one another, to lend an ear, to share Christ’s love. We are all called to bring the light of Christ into the world. That is what we do as a community of faith, and something Covid-19 cannot change.

If you are going through a difficult time our Stephen Ministry can be a valuable resource for you. To request the care of a Stephen Minister, contact any of our Stephen Leaders or the church office.

Stephen Ministry:

Christ Caring for People

Through People