This past Sunday, October 24, was a special day in our lives and in Bennett's life, too, even though she doesn't know it yet. Ben and I officially joined Fellowship Baptist Church, the church we've been attending for the past eight months or so. I can't describe how good it feels to be part of a church family. We both grew up in church, and I kind of think we took for granted how much it enriched our lives. When we got married and moved to Columbus, church was important to us, but it definitely took a backseat to a lot of the other things crowding into our lives- traveling, time with family, etc. For several years, we attended a good church and made friendships there with several other couples around our age, but we never really felt at home and never really got involved. I'm not sure we ever even met the head pastor.
We decided to find a new church at the worst possible time- right when Bennett was born. Visiting new churches is not an easy task with a newborn in tow. I never felt comfortable leaving her in the nursery at a church where I didn't know a single person, and as she got older, she was too noisy to keep in the service with us. I finally came to the conclusion that a small, Baptist church was where I wanted to be- a place where we could really get to know people and where we would really be needed to serve. I wasn't sure what Ben would think- he never attended a small church growing up and I didn't know if he'd like it. I asked if we could visit Fellowship since I knew a few people who went there. After we visited the first time, I knew that I loved it there, but I was sure that Ben would say he thought it was too small and he wouldn't want to go back. To my surprise, he did want to go back and we've enjoyed attending there ever since.
I didn't realize how much I missed being part of a church family or how important it was to me. Now that I have that back in my life, I feel like something has been restored. I am so looking forward to serving in this church and raising Bennett in it for as long as God keeps us living here in Columbus. And yes, joining a church was also on my 30 in my 30s list. Obviously, it means a lot more to me than just an item to "check off," but it still feels good to see my life changing in one more of the ways I hoped it would after turning 30. Two down, 28 to go. :)
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I don't know how you define small church, but can i just say how REFRESHING it is to hear someone say they WANT to join a small church? We belong to a small (very. small.) church-the one i grew up in- and while it has it's struggles (i.e. cannot compete with all the churches that have lots of bells and whistles and programs), there is something SO SPECIAL about the depths of the relationships we have there. We know everyone and they know us...not to mention our pastor's focus on sharing the MEAT of the word, and not just the glitter & fun that draws in masses of people. I love that our kids (and us for that matter!) can interact with people of all ages...and not be herded off into a group with 400 other kids their age. i'm excited for you!
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