We went to church every Sunday when I was growing up. My parents were active and involved in volunteering at the church, church leadership councils, and with the praise and worship team. Through their example, I learned the value present in serving in the church, not only attending church.
When Rachel and I got married and then moved to Bismarck, we went church shopping, like most Christians do when moving to a new town. We kept coming back to Century Baptist.
There were elements that drew us back time and time again. Friendly people greeted us when we walked through the door. Church leadership focused on teaching the Word of God. Rachel knew the NextGen pastor from her time in youth group in Grand Forks.
The teaching, the relationships that started to develop, the energy surrounding the services, and our personal growth kept us coming back each week. And the longer we attended Century, the more we started to get plugged in. Whether it was attending a Community Life Group, participating in Financial Peace University, or volunteering to teach Sunday school, the more the community in the church became a part of our lives, the more we desired community.
During our walk with infertility, it was the church that continued to walk with us in the valley. Our church walked with us and celebrated with us when the twins were born. It was a pastor of our church that I called while driving to the hospital when Anders was rushed there. It was our church that continued to rally around us and give us an opportunity to share our story with others.
And outside of the biggest events of our lives, it is our church that has provided consistent, Biblical teaching on a weekly basis. It is the connection to our local church that has consistently energized me on Sunday morning to go into the week seeking to love others well because of how much Jesus loves me.
I am so thankful to be a member of a church that is “A Place to Grow” and that is committed to making disciples who make disciples. While the church certainly isn’t perfect, it is through the good and the difficult that the love of Jesus shines. If you are in the area and are looking for a church, come check us out!
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Previous 30 Days of Thankfulness posts
Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13 | Day 14 | Day 15 | Day 16 | Day 17 | Day 18 | Day 19 | Day 20 | Day 21 | Day 22 | Day 23 | Day 24 | Day 25 | Day 26
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