I began attending Christ the Servant shortly after I moved into the condos near the church. I grew up Episcopalian and had flitted between some of the Episcopal churches in the area over the preceding years, but my attendance was inconsistent. I was aware that the ELCA was in full communion with the Episcopal Church, although I wasn’t particularly familiar with the church, and so I figured that checking out CTS wouldn’t hurt. Besides, having a church within 2 minutes’ walking distance from my front door was a good way to keep myself going to church even on those Sunday mornings when I really wasn’t feeling it!
I realized CTS had become my church home when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. At this point I had only been attending CTS for about a year; it would have been perfectly normal for this to be the kind of major life event that knocked me out of church attendance for a while. And yet, in that short time the warm welcome of its members and of Pastor Carl made me feel this was a connection worth maintaining. Even as the church was worshipping remotely, I gradually became more and more engaged and was happy that my input on certain matters was just as valued despite my relatively short time attending.
In my rather short time here, I have been highly involved in the music ministries. I greatly appreciate the time and effort our director of music, Alex Bean, and our various singers and musicians put into making a joyful noise to the Lord. Outside of our walls, I am always supportive of our church’s efforts to feed our neighbors, whether it’s gathering donations for the South Lakes food pantry, serving lunch outside our front door, or preparing a Thanksgiving meal for Fellowship House. Feeding the hungry is one of the most Christ-like acts one can do, and I’ve always been happy to assist when our church gives back to our community in this way.
When I think about generosity, I probably learned the most about giving back to the church from the congregation I grew up in. Like many congregations, there were a few members who were mainstays in the community, rotating in and out of various leadership positions over the years. However, the congregation wasn’t guided solely by those highly engaged people who I was regularly seeing in front of the church; every person who gave back in some way, even if it was volunteering for an event here or there, contributed to the rich tapestry that was the church. The demands of modern life are many, and while we should all strive to be involved in our church home to the extent that is possible, sometimes what’s possible isn’t much. And that’s fine! Whether it’s contributing financially or simply with one’s time, whether your contributions wax or wane over time, any contribution is a meaningful contribution that forever adds to that tapestry.
My hope for Christ the Servant’s future is that we can continue to grow not only in size, but involvement. As difficult as the COVID-19 pandemic was, we managed to grow more tightknit, and, in a time where churches across denominations were struggling, we saw increased involvement from members who, until then, hadn’t been as active (including yours truly!). I can’t speak as to what Christ the Servant was, say, a decade or two ago, but I know that we managed to come through the pandemic stronger and more dedicated than we were before, and I would love to see that continue as more people explore where and how they can increase their involvement in the church.
Comments