I’m workng my way through this little book, The Search to Belong by Joe Myers. It has really gotten me thinking about the difference between coming to church, being a member at a church… and feeling like you belong there. There is a significant difference.
The cold-hard fact
I feel “community” and “belonging” and all that warm fuzzy stuff when I am at church and especially at Light Force. Deeper than that, there are certain people, adults and students, that when I am with them I feel something special with.
I feel understood among them, I feel like I am a part of their lives and visa versa. Sometimes we share things that are non-verbal… we can just look at each other and see life! Yet the hard fact is that I also can see and recognize that a lot of people don’t feel that way. They come but aren’t connected. They are members but don’t feel like they belong. They are in the community but don’t feel community. They look at the story of the prodigal son a lot differently than someone who feels community. We feel like the father, welcoming home the lost sheep and sharing a great feast to show off our beloved prize… but there are others who are “at the church but not feeling it” who leave the church and feel nothing. They aren’t connected, they don’t feel a sense of belonging… they go home and wonder why they came.
There is a deep longing and draw for each person to feel connected to a community. God did not create us to be loners, he created us to belong to something bigger than just us.
A little experiment
I want to ask my readers to consider posting some comments. You can reply without leaving your name or you can leave your name, it’s your choice. But I’d like you to think about these questions.
When you think about the church… do you feel like you belong there?
In what setting do you feel the most understood?
Has there ever been a place that you look back to now and think “I wish I had that kind of community?” If so, describe it.
It’s important that everyone who reads this participates. Why? Your story is data. We can all look at it, learn from it… who knows? Perhaps your story will lead to a greater sense of community at your church or community.
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