Connecting Points Magazine Fall 2018

CONNECTING POINTS | FALL 2018
GATHER
BY MARTY MITTELSTAEDT, ASSOCIATE PASTOR, GATHER
When one grows up in the church, it’s easy to take for granted
the value there is in regularly joining together as a community
to celebrate our faith in Jesus. Many of us have heard
the scripture verse quoted that we should “not give up meeting
together.” This comes from the book of Hebrews, which
was written to believers who it appears had let their faith
grow a little stale. The writer makes the point that meeting
together will help reignite what they believe about Christ.
We believe gathering is an essential aspect of the Christian
life. It’s a way to regain perspective of the fact that we
are part of a greater story. God’s story. It is a way we are reminded
that we are not alone in the complexities of life. It is
where we communicate, and where communion takes place.
When I look across our auditorium, I see a single mom
with her teenage son, a young man in a wheelchair, a couple
that has been married for over 60 years, a newly arrived immigrant
to our great country, a recovering addict and many,
many more. Each has their own unique story to tell. Yet, we
are all together for the same reason – to celebrate Christ’s
My role is simply to help create an environment where communication
and communion can take place. We communicate
truth through song and preaching. We communicate
our values through video and stories. That is why we commune.
This is where our souls are fed, with a God-fullness
we get from worship and word infused by the Holy Spirit.
This fall we look forward to more God-infused moments
in our weekly services, worship and prayer nights. We encourage
your participation in these gatherings, and your involvement.
Every Sunday, it takes approximately 150 volunteers
to create the environment where communication and
communion can take place, from greeting to teaching to
focusing a camera. There is something for everyone to do,
from highly skilled to just saying hi. You can make a difference
in helping create an environment where our gathering
takes on significant meaning in people’s lives.
Let’s not give up meeting together, but encourage
each other (Hebrews 10:25).
resurrection, and the implications of the freedom to live life
to the fullest through Jesus.
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