The unity that Christ brings is not uniformity— or sameness—but a unifying through the Holy Spirit and a common purpose. In the church, we are a diverse group of people, but I was so pleased at our Administration Meeting to have a near unanimous unity in the vote.
Unity means that there is inherent diversity of opinion, yet it means the differences are not derailing. We have various ethnic backgrounds, political leanings, or views on entertainment, yet biblical unity is about loving one another no matter what. Republican/Democrat is not a biblical qualifier of whether you’re “in” or not, and our unity transcends our entertainment choices (e.g. The Chosen), our family choices (e.g. number of kids, public/private school, vaccines, etc.), and our background.
We carry both convictions and opinions about all of these things, obviously, but part of the beauty of unity is that we can have differing opinions in areas that are not explicit in Scripture. Yes, draw your lines. I encourage you to do so! I’ll draw mine, too. But what happens when you bump into someone whose line is not where yours is? How about unity?
I mentioned the Administration Meeting because it was an opportunity to express unity through a vote. I’m so thankful for our deacons, and I’m thankful for our new Sunday School Superintendent, Bro. Jared Burkholder. He has been working in Junior Church for several years, and (don’t tell my mom) one of my kids said he’s their favorite. His work with kids has been so effective, and now he will be in the Kids Wing every Sunday helping the kids find their way, greeting guests, and patrolling the hallways for ruffians. He is also ordering curriculum, coordinating substitute teachers, and helping the current teachers with their needs.
Speaking of teachers, take some time today to thank our CBC KIDZ teachers. These adults give every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. to our children, and they are impacting lives for Jesus Christ!
Mrs. Erika Gomez: Preschool (Helper: Destiny Gomez)
Mrs. Judy Austin: K–2 (HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mrs. Judy! Helper: Evelyn Morales)
Mrs. Maricela Estacuy: 3–4 (Helper: Vicki Sage)
Mrs. Theresa Hughes: 5–6 (Helper: Matt Hughes)
The 10:30 a.m. Junior church workers rotate with through regular volunteers. THANK YOU all, and I am praying for a GREAT 2024!
–Pastor Ryan