This random act of kindness occurred as I was writing an essay for my May Intensive course - Foundations of Church Growth. So...it made its way into my little paper. Hopefully the professor won't mind if I share a taste of it here:
I am reminded of Acts, Chapter 2. Without extensive exegesis, I am drawn to the end of the chapter (Acts 2:42-47) which bears the heading “The Fellowship of the Believers” in the New Revised Standard Version. In fact, as I was writing this portion of the paper the doorbell to our apartment rang. I answered the door and standing there was my friend with a gallon of strawberries freshly picked from his farm in South Carolina. This is community. While my friend is not part of my “church family” as a fellow seminarian he is part of my big “C” Church family. Luke writes in Acts 2:46b-47, “they broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Strawberry sharing, resource sharing, pot-luck eating, worshiping together, faith sharing and listening: in my eyes these are the things that genuinely grow relationships and are a vital part of church growth.
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