Meeting people....
Meeting people is what we do. We went to a new couple's house for dinner on Tuesday, small group on Wednesday, invited someone from our apartment over on Thursday, playing some "beetles" in John and Juli Boeve's coffee shop on Friday, going to a Texas basketball game with a co-worker on Saturday and maybe eating with another couple from our apartment complex on Saturday.
In a couple of weeks we are starting are own cell group at our apartment. And it appears there will be quite a varied group of religious affiliations and experiences (or lack thereof) there. Now that is great. Simone spends her days planning how we and the rest of the church can meet people and actually doing it herself. Yesterday she went knocking on apartment doors meeting people under the context of gathering information for our lease negotiation. She really is our church's not so secret weapon. I mean, who wouldn't want to hang with a woman so fair and wise and kind?
Last weekend I had a small singing role in our high school's production of "Grease." You know me, still looking for the spotlight. It was really fun, and a great way to... yes, you guessed it, meet more people!
We do tire of the constant effort required in talking with people one doesn't know well. We miss friends who know us, with whom we don't wonder what impression we are giving off, and who don't wonder at small unintended facial variations and lip curls. For that reason we value those who read this blog and those who know us well. Living so far from family, we have come to appreciate our familial ties and connections with people that run deeper than children that are the same age or a desire to take the same exercise class.
My heart's desire is to create a community like that here, and my heart's desire for ya'll is that you have that too. Thanks for listening.
posted by kukailimoku at 12:46 PM
5 Comments:
It's sounds so cool, what you guys are doing. You're doing it. And I totally agree about Simone, how could she possibly not draw people in, she is so wonderful, so kind...that is definitely the right word for her.
3:24 PM
I'm curious about the people from various backgrounds who are coming. Are they Christians already or just interested in learning, or seeing what you're doing, or what? And how do they end up coming, especially if they're not Christians yet?
3:27 PM
Meeting people is really fun and really hard-- I am proud of you guys for putting yourselves out there. Growing up in a family-inclusive home, I've always wanted to be the Naylor-Tatterson model of bringing/enveloping people in the fold of community. From experience, I know you both do this. Keep it up.
10:16 AM
Denise - the non-christians that we hang out with are just normal, good people who desire friendships. We are findign more and more that people want friends and reallyget excited about being invited, wanted, pursued. A couple of the non christians keep coming back (I suppose because they like us!), others have not returned. Others don't necessarily attend out "church" functions but show up at social events, parties, and bars when we go out. THanks for asking! Someday, I hope to get a picture of tons of these people so you can see who is filling our days and lives!
4:00 PM
We had a gal over last night - a co-worker who is a twenty-five year old Stanford grad. She teaches biology, doesn't hold to any religious affiliation and flat out told us that she has no friends. So we had her over for dinner, she really enjoyed it and we said almost nothing about Christianity, although we did pray for the meal. She definitely wants to get together with us again, but next time with her boyfriend - who happens to be a drummer. I think our strategy at the moment is to boldly offer friendship and see how we take to people, all the while praying for Holy Spirit attraction.
10:51 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home