The Fortress
When my children were young, they loved dragging furniture together and covering it with blankets to create their own "fort." Once created, they often brought in pillows, toys or games, and food supplies. From then on, it was declared an adult-free zone. It was their protection from everything they pretended was out to get them away from the fort's protection.
At times, we might consider our involvement with a church community similarly. We belong to a church because it offers us some protection and keeps out unwanted elements. By keeping others out, we can maintain our pristine buildings, hold worship services that cater to our needs, and run programming that fulfills our desires for community. In essence, we may be tempted to stock up on the supplies we need to survive whatever is going on 'out there.
But this is not the purpose of the Church as God designed it to be. In his book Why Jesus Crossed the Road, Bruce Main responds to this inclination by saying,
"Church is not a fortress that protects us from the world. The church is a community of people who open their arms to all others in the loving name of Jesus—wherever they are on their journey of faith." [1]
Fortunately, the community of Roswell Presbyterian Church generally leans toward openness rather than holding a fortress mentality. Our facilities are constantly used by neighbors and partners who serve others from all walks of life. On any given day of the week, you are likely to find people here from organizations such as Family Promise, Homestretch, Scouts, North Fulton Community Charities, Drake House, Habitat for Humanity, not to mention the weekly Bluegrass group, bagpipers, and the basketball program for children. Now, we have a Hispanic faith community in La Familia de Dios that we can interact with every Sunday.
Thankfully, making a financial commitment to RPC is far more than just "securing the fortress." Giving toward the general budget of the church is not glamorous. However, the impact of generosity reaches well beyond the church walls to communicate the love of Jesus throughout the city and beyond.
We should celebrate how vital our facilities are to the broader community and how frequently people from RPC are out in the community volunteering for one organization or another. If you desire opportunities to practice faith by helping RPC "open its arms" to our neighbors, we post consistent opportunities on the "Serve" page at roswellpres.org.
In this season, when we become especially mindful of giving thanks for all the ways God blesses us, let us also pursue opportunities to be a blessing to others through our time, talents, and resources so that all may see our "arms open in the loving name of Jesus."
[1] Main, Bruce. Why Jesus Crossed the Road: Learning to Follow the Unconventional Travel Itinerary of a First Century Carpenter and His Ragtag Group of Friends as They Hop Fences, Cross Borders, and Generally Go Where Most People Don't. Tyndale House Publishers, 2010. P. 63.
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As RPC’s Associate Pastor for Mission Outreach, Rev. Dr. Dan Kreiss, has a heart for service and a diverse array of experiences in the mission field. Be sure to subscribe to the Mission Outreach Blog to read and follow along as he documents his personal journey and shares his vision for RPC’s mission outreach commitment. Along with providing meaningful resources, this blog will help jumpstart the important conversations our church community must be having about missional living.
Rev. Dr. Dan Kreiss
Rev. Dr. Dan Kreiss is the Associate Pastor for Mission Outreach at RPC. Dan is particularly passionate about encouraging the church to reflect the diversity found in its surrounding community in regard to age, gender, ethnicity, education and economic status.