The Church, A Safe Place to Be

Being a part of a church family should be the safest place to be in the whole world. One person told me last night, that was her experience. Before becoming a follower of Jesus, she though she had community. However, it was only after experiencing the relationship with other likeminded followers of Jesus that she found true support and community. She told me that she found a people she felt totally safe with and supported. Her testimony is the answer for so many lonely people out there.

Unfortunately, the Church has gotten a bad reputation and the majority has rejected the Church as a viable option.

The media, online community, and culture has painted the church as bigoted, misogynistic, and outdated. Unfortunately, some of it is true. However, not always. There are many great churches out there that are filled with people who really care. They are not perfect people. If the church is to be truly a reflection of Jesus welcoming broken people, accepting hurting people, and coming alongside struggling people, then why are we surprised that the church is not filled with perfect people. Someone said, Jesus loves us exactly the way we are, but he loves us enough not to leave us that way. When we become followers of Jesus, he begins a process of changing us, helping us to forgive others, and gives us a community of believers that we can feel safe with.

If you have rejected the Church due to a personal experience of injustice, abuse, or neglect, please accept my heartfelt apology on behalf of those who have hurt you. Your pain is real and should never have happened. The truth is that hurting people hurt people. We cannot control what others do, but we do have control about how we handle it. I want to encourage you that there is healing for you through Jesus and his TRUE followers. Please take a risk and reach out again for your own spiritual life and eternal destiny. All Churches are not created equal.

If you have rejected the Church simply because of what others have said, why not check it out for yourself. You might find a people that are just like you. People who are on a path to better their lives, who are looking for meaning that is greater than themselves, and who want to have a spiritual connection to God. By experiencing Jesus, the above is possible. However, as the friend at the beginning of this blog found, the unintended consequence was the feeling of being safe, valued, and accepted.

This Sunday, I will be sharing on the Church as a safe place. To be a safe place requires intentionality. We want to be followers of Jesus at KCF as demonstrated by the way we treat people, love people, and care about people. We look forward to seeing you and the opportunity to journey life together.

Jim Reimer, Pastor

August 1, 2019