“communication”; 1. the imparting or exchanging of information or news; 2. means of connection between people or places, in particular.
Communication is one of many human abilities God equipped us with when He designed us. As we grow, we are taught to use those God-given, physical abilities to worship Him and connect with others. I know watching people during an exchange has intrigued me since childhood; curiously observing body language, vocal tone, and facial expressions. I grew up in the computer driven era, which to me, has been equally fascinating. During that period, the natural human desire to engage with others has been a catalyst in creating a vast spectrum of choices in calling, seeing, talking, Facetiming, messaging, tweeting, posting, sharing, Instagramming, or Snapchatting our closest 1,000 “friends”. Continue my timeline to now, having attained the woman of a certain age status, and I can say I have witnessed and even been part of some amazing communications on behalf of God… and, unfortunately, some not-so-amazing communications.
Even for a self-proclaimed extrovert/creative/geek, keeping up with the myriad of communication avenues available to us can border somewhere between awe-inspiring and overwhelming. Add to that the responsibility of “imparting or exchanging of information or news” in a church… pop! That’s my brain at times. Don’t get me wrong—I love what I do at RiverStone! From a Communications Coordinator standpoint, the past year has been chocked full of challenges: new logo, website, signage, announcements, app updates, Facebook blogs, interior revamping, exterior revamping, interior renaming… a.k.a., change galore, a.k.a, my ADD heavenly language, pardon the pun.
From a Holy Spirit standpoint, this past year has been no less exciting or challenging. Joyful celebrations have happened as we shared new birth. In the name of Jesus Christ, we have welcomed and blessed babies; professing our responsibility, as Christ’s body, to help nurture them. The birth of a renewed and refreshed body was celebrated as RiverStone Church on January 28 of this year; having shared our Good memories of, and saying our final goodbyes to, FUMC during worship the week before. The Connect Team has been Faithful in its endeavors to create a welcoming environment; constantly evaluating and honing their ability to help others Love, Follow, and Serve Jesus Christ, to provide information about RiverStone Church and to help connect people to others as well. RiverStone disciples, in the guise of Missions, UMW, life group, and congregation members, continue to bless others, both near and far. Echo Food Bank, Native American Ministries, Navajo UMC’s New Beginnings, random strangers, our own campus, and many more people and places have benefited from their Loving servanthood.
Being on staff affords insight to more than just the published happenings. I have anticipated and celebrated RiverStone’s rebirth with most, however I see the change continues to be a struggle for some. Something I, nor any on staff, are not immune to either. As the old youth group saying goes, “We must be doing something right” because the Devil is really trying to cause chaos! Spiritual warfare is not just a “thing”. It is real. It is here. And by “here”, I do mean, RiverStone Church. I would ask that we seek God in prayer with Peaceful hearts, striving to be Patient, Gentle, and Self-controlled while waiting for His direction, sharing Kind, edifying words with others.
Heh. Heh. See what I’ve, done there? Fruits of the Spirit? But seriously, we need to remember: His plan is divine. His timing is perfect. His promise for us is undeniable. Let us bring glory to Him in all we do, for His is the Kingdom we are undeservedly a part of, now and forever. Amen and Amen.
Leave a Reply