It felt to me like a lot of community building activities on the weekend, aside from the usual stuff including morning church.
I really enjoyed seeing a number of our youth group and others at the Riverhead Rampage running event on Saturday morning. Not as wet and slippery in the forest as I imagined. Most did the 5km and enjoyed it I think....?! Not sure if I've got too many converts to trail running though, it seemed more of a 'one off.'
After having lunch with some lovely church folk on Sunday, it was time to take a quiet moment to go through my contribution to the evening Prayer and Healing Service to be hosted by Forrest Hill in the evening. The background soundtrack to my thought was the powerful singing of the Korean church who use our premises of a Sunday Photo by Katie Moum on unsplash afternoon.
Many thanks to the FHPC folk who stepped up to provide AV support, supper, music, singing, set up and tidying for the service. It's so much easier when I only have to think about my own part, other tasks of hospitality and welcome are entrusted to others.
The 'prayer and healing' ministry may be unfamiliar to some, and differs a little from our usual church services. It fills a necessary role in church life in my view. The ministry and the small group who plan and bring the services I suppose hoped early on it would bring a sense of revival to the presbytery. What has transpired is a gentler, now tried and true approach.
I think often about what things will 'catch on', and what will just be a 'one off'. 21st century people with the benefit of social media can tailor a lifestyle of events that is quite individualized. Yet genuine community and human connection remain important.
Christian communities have the opportunity to prayerfully experiment with new things that might build community and connection. May our 'one off' events turn into habits of hospitality and belonging.