At our recent Reformation Day celebration, I met a man who attends another church in the area. He said that our church made an impression on him because “everyone seemed to know each other.” He appreciated that we were a friendly church with people who care about one another. I would have to agree! In our short time here, our family has been well loved by you. We have also seen you greet guests warmly and help them to find ways to connect with others. People connecting with people is increasingly important as Christ Church grows. And we are growing! There are new faces at Christ Church every week. Numerical growth is exciting, but it is much more exciting when it is accompanied by spiritual growth! The Lord works in the hearts and lives of His people through His Word and the ordinary means of grace, but this is not done in isolation. Scripture portrays the bride of Christ as a body which is very dependent upon one another. If we just look at some of the “one another” passages in Scripture, we see that we are to love one another, show honor to one another, welcome one another, care for one another, bear one another’s burdens, be kind to and forgive one another, encourage and build up one another, stir up one another to love and good deeds, confess your sins and pray for one another, and serve one another. (Rom. 12:10, 15:7, 1 Cor. 12:25, Gal. 6:2, Eph. 4:32, 1 Thess. 5:11, Heb. 10:24, James 5:16, 1 Pet. 4:10) This can only be done as we know each other. As Christ Church grows, we will likely find it challenging to get to know one another at the necessary level so that we may fulfill these Biblical mandates.

Our mission statement reads: “Christ Church exists to make mature disciples who will worship, know, and serve Christ so that His Church and Kingdom are powerfully extended in Katy and beyond.” If we are to grow into mature disciples who form an interdependent body with Christ as our head (Eph. 4:15), then we must make it a priority to know and love each other. While we have some avenues to build community (Ladies’ Bible Study, Men’s Breakfast, Sunday evening suppers, etc.), there is no substitute for being in one another’s homes and meeting regularly with a group of people that we know and trust for mutual Christian edification and fellowship. We believe we can find this in our Covenant Community Groups - regular meetings with fellow believers in a small group environment for mutual Christian edification and fellowship.

Our Covenant Community Groups are a place that facilitates the relational nature of the body of Christ. The church is a body where we need each other, and no member is unimportant. Our Covenant Community Groups are designed to help those in our congregation grow in their love for Christ and for one another.

While some of these groups have been meeting regularly this fall, additional groups are now forming and will be available in January. Would you help me pray that these groups will be a way in which we can grow in our faith and in our love for one another?