His Living, Breathing, Growing Family

Hi Family,

To encourage and help us continue connection and encouragement within our UChurch community, we, as staff, are exploring various means that will allow us to connect with one another in creative and fun ways. Whether you’re single or married, sharing and connecting with one another through new creative outlets will provide some unique ways to allow life and love to flow. Stay tuned you will all get play a part!

These are the times we are invited to live generously toward others. My prayer is that we will encounter God as a safe and powerful refuge through the health and economic challenges ahead. I believe He is revealing generous ways to reach out and encourage others who are impacted. Let’s allow Him to keep our eyes and hearts open for new ways to live kindly, generously and free of fear. God is doing amazing things in this season and hopefully adjusting some of the skewed priorities we can fall into in the comfortable routines of life.

It's always good to recall that His Church has never been defined by the external circumstances she finds herself in. In the first 300 years of its existence, Jesus' Church, the family of God, never thought of a building as a place to try to contain His living, breathing, growing family. God was alive amongst them, their close friendships and concern for one another powerfully expressed His love. That love, unity and connection changed the course of human history. We may have some limitations that didn’t exist then, but we also have some technology to help; this season has the earmark of impacting a hurting, fearful world.

For those of us who have navigated through the past couple of years of transition within UChurch, you know that large worship experiences or corporate traditions do not define our relationship with God. We value being together and we look forward to doing so in the future however, we know large gathering are not essential to the fullness of life God has for us. As Paul shares with us in Galatians 5:6 (NIV) "The only thing that matters is faith expressing itself in love."Everything else is fluff. I am so looking forward to hearing about some of the creative ways many of you will discover in loving one another and expressing it to those around you.

Some of us may have to self-isolate in this season due to travel or possible exposure. Self-isolation poses the reality that you will have to hold off on running some errands publicly. If that’s you, or you know someone in this situation, please reach out to one another! Helping run errands, groceries, dropping off a meal, sharing of some spare TP rolls etc are some ways we can be family to one another, including our neighbours who may not have found the source of peace and joy.

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Cheers

Brant - on behalf of the amazing brothers and sisters who are currently full and part-time staff.