Kumbaya

Kumbaya

Anonymity

Some people like to be anonymous at Church, but that’s not easy to do in a small start up.  It’s easy to find anonymity in a mega-church if thats what you want.  You can slip in late and sit in the back, hoping that nobody will see you or maybe leave a little early before all the socializing begins.

Cheers

I’ve heard people describe Lightshine to their friends by saying that’s its like Cheers, where everybody knows your name.  Anonymity is nearly impossible in a small, start up church.  To me, that’s a good enough reason right there to commit to smallness.

Kumbaya

Last Sunday, in worship, we accidentally held hands in a circle for over 5 minutes (don’t ask, its a long story).  This situation felt great for a small, select few, but was downright horrifying for most (including me)!  I’m still recovering and praying that the visiting family that Sunday wasn’t scared away by the Kumbaya circle.  But maybe some uncomfortable hand holding is the small price we pay for community; for truly knowing others and being known by others.  To know and be known is part of what fellowship is all about, right?


At Lightshine if you try to sneak in late, everybody just turns around and audibly says hello to you, even if I’m in the middle of my sermon (and I’m ok with that).   People’s presence is appreciated, it’s valued, its important!  If you leave early, someone might follow you out the door and into the parking lot to see if everything is ok.

The only way to truly remain anonymous is to not show up!    But when one person doesn’t show up, it has an effect on the whole; a piece of the puzzle is missing.  I just had lunch with my friend Kyle, who had missed a few weekly worship gatherings in a row.  I simply told him that every time he missed corporate worship, multiple people asked me where he was.  Kyle was in worship the next Sunday!

Let People Know That You Care

It’s our job collectively to make sure that no one really remains anonymous.  When you notice that someone hasn’t been around for a while, get in touch with them and check in; let them know that you are thinking about them and that they are missed.  The reality of small church is that every single person’s presence makes a tremendous difference.  It’s truly not the same without you!

Hopefully we won’t have to do too much of that long hand holding stuff, but if it happens again because people are caring for one another, then I will just have to deal with it.  After all, maybe that is just a very small price to pay for real community.  Kumbaya.

Robert Douglas - Organizing Pastor - Lightshine Church

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