Navigating the Realities of Finding a New People
Buying a new home, moving, and starting a new job are universally recognized as some of the most stressful experiences of a person’s life. Perhaps not as universally recognized, but no less stressful, is leaving a church and finding a new one. This was especially true for me and my family, nearly two years ago. We were founding members of a church we loved and for years, we leveraged our lives for this church. And when we decided to move, it was hard. We had found our people, and when that happens, there’s always a fear that you may not find new people. Thankfully, our fears have been proven wrong, but it wasn’t immediate.
We first started attending The Trails during Advent of 2020. We were meeting across the street at the Prosper football stadium, and attendance was light as COVID swept through the congregation (including us). As we kept coming, we met more and more people on Sunday mornings. At the beginning of 2021 we started attending a small group. For me, that first small group meeting was a breath of fresh air. I witnessed men who knew and loved each other. Several of them were attending via Zoom, but they seemed to be just as engaged as if they were there in person. The host of the group was genuinely hospitable. I felt as if I had been part of the group forever. Love and care and compassion were on display that night. And I laughed a lot. These were people who could (and have since) become my people.
As good as this was, there were still moments when we felt out of place. Imagine being the new kid in school, having to forge new relationships when everyone else was already connected. When we arrived, I could sense the closeness of the people of The Trails. In the first several months I remember feeling like I was intruding on a family meal. No one did or said anything that made me feel this way. Rather the closeness of the people was evident, and it was intimidating. But the beautiful thing is that this family welcomed us. Someone grabbed chairs, another served us plates, and they had us at their table (metaphorically speaking). We were able to tell that we belonged when we realized we were serving others right alongside them, welcoming and caring for new families, just like we had been cared for.
Seeing The Beauty of Christ in His People
Through leaving, finding a new place to belong, and overcoming the obstacles to find that belonging, I fell more in love with the broader Church and the local body of believers known as The Trails Church. The body of Christ is not an easy body to be a part of, mostly because we are all in it. But I found in this local congregation people willing to welcome. Willing to love. Willing to open their hearts. Willing to receive others and their hearts. We found shepherds who deeply know and care for their flock. We found people good at asking questions and listening. We found people ready to serve; eager in fact. We found our people again, those who help us follow Jesus and invite us into their lives to help them right back.
As the area grows, there will be more families like ours. You might be one of them. Boswell likes to say that we all need to “grab an oar” in this boat. As the church grows, let us all grab an oar and keep welcoming one another, so that people can see the beauty of Christ through the love of His people.