A United Church

This last Saturday our church had our annual Easter Super Saturday event. It is an event created for the purpose of drawing in the community during the Easter season to make connections with our neighbors, and to share story of Jesus with children. There are egg hunts, carnival games, music, puppets, lots of food, and the presentation of the gospel. It's a fun event each year and gives us opportunity to meet many in our community.

This year we invited my good friend Marshall Snider, director of Bridgetown Ministries to be a part our morning. An arm of Bridgetown Ministries is B-Town Kids, a ministry program targeted at children. As Marshall arrived at the church in their B-Town Kids truck he made a very astute observation, one that has had me thinking all weekend.

As he approached our church, he noticed our Easter Super Saturday banner up in front of our church, and then noticed the Easter Eggstravaganza sign in front of the church next door. Sandwiched right between our two churches was a car parked in a driveway with a bumper sticker that simply read, Coexist. I would like to believe the bumper sticker was not placed on their car to communicate to us ... or perhaps it was. It's not that our two churches are unable to get along, or are competing, or unable to peacefully coexist. What got me thinking though, is why are we not doing events like these together? Are we not trying to reach the same community with the same Gospel?

I have been encouraged lately by the recent formation of our youth pastor network here in town. We have been enjoying great times together and are looking forward to doing ministry with one another. I have to believe it really makes God smile when He sees the Church, His people, coming along side each other to serve in community with one another. I also have to believe that our church buildings would be a lot fuller if that was the picture the world saw of us.

It is my prayer today that that is what the world will begin to see; a united Church. A Church that can see past petty differences, and can see the big picture of together loving people to Christ. I plan to meet our neighbors soon.