By Kelly Carr

Last week we looked at ways that Christians are reaching out to their communities with the love of Christ. This week we are seeing how people are reaching in—growing together as the body of Christ and lifting up fellow sisters and brothers in the Lord.

Just because people have been coming in the church doors for years doesn’t mean they have it all worked out. We can attest to that. Likely we all have experienced seasons of life when we needed encouragement, wisdom, or a helping hand. That’s the blessing of being a part of a church community—we don’t have to go it alone. God put us together for a reason.

Occasionally people will be timid about asking for help. They may think that as longtime church members they shouldn’t appear vulnerable by asking for assistance. The opposite is true—the longer we’ve been on our Christian journey together, the more reliant we should become on each other. We know one another’s strengths and weaknesses. We can trust that we have each other’s best interests at heart. None of us is perfect—it’s OK to admit it.

As exciting as it is to welcome new people into the congregation, it is also exciting to see current members grow deeper in their walks with the Lord. How can you be a part of that? Start by looking around when you go to church. Whom should you get to know better? Who looks like they have a need? Who hasn’t been attending in a while? Whom can you ask to join your small group? Who has great advice that can help you in a current situation? What skills do people have that can be utilized on your ministry team? What new activity can you organize to fill a need for people in your congregation?

We’re all in this together. Let’s keep finding ways to build up the body of Christ.