I was talking to one of you recently, and you said, “I know that we are not filling the pews the way we would have in the past, but this feels like growth.”
The person I was talking to was not referencing a specific “thing” that felt like growth to them, but the overall spirit of the church these days and all the ways we’ve been able to engage with one another and the community.
I cannot even begin to tell you how many contacts I have received over the last month from community partners who have reached out to us because “we know your reputation for being so open and willing to help.”
We have chuckled a lot, perhaps a little uncomfortably, over the years when we’ve heard IBC and “reputation” in the same sentence. Now, whatever people may think about our theology, our hearts are on full display, beating louder than ever in pursuit of care for “the least of these.” We are often the first call our partners make when they need support. They know we will rally the troops and that, small as we might be, we are mighty in love and generosity.
There’s an old proverb that says, “Blessed are those who plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” This is growth. Planting seeds of hope and justice for our neighbors, even though we may never enjoy the fruit. Planting seeds, providing fertile soil for roots to grow is hard and holy work. It requires us to look underneath what at times seems barren for where a bloom is about to spring forth. We stay the course, because we can dream and imagine what kind of branches will grow through our perseverance.
I once heard a church leadership expert pose the question: “If your church disappeared tomorrow, would your community miss it?” He said that this question speaks more to our mission and discipleship than nearly any other. How are we bearing witness to Jesus Christ if our community would not be any different if we were gone?
Aren’t you grateful to be in a place where we don’t have to think too hard about the answer to that question? I know I am. I am inspired and encouraged by this church – by each of you – and the way we see growth not just by numbers, but by impact.
It is clear that when you committed to “experience and express God’s unconditional love,” you meant it – and you mean it more every day. Thanks be to God!
