Virtue #8 – Flourishing Churches Work Well with Others – 8 Short Verses

Virtue #8 – Flourishing Churches Work Well with Others – 8 Short Verses

Working well with others is part of what gives people, organizations, and entire communities the resilience needed to get through tough times. Lord knows we’ve all needed extra resilience these past two years. Locally, we’ve endured massive wildfires, prolonged power outages, and a prison closing. Nationally, we’ve dealt with bitter politics, Covid’s persistence, and now a war involving a nuclear super-power.

We need each other to survive and thrive in every aspect of our lives – mentally, physically, socially, and spiritually. We need to worship together, serve together, eat and drink together, laugh and cry together – just like Jesus did with His friends and His enemies. As we aspire to be a church that flourishes in our community, we must continue working well with others. And by doing so, we will demonstrate and experience what it means to be part of the Kingdom of God.

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Virtue #3: Flourishing Churches Love the Local – Nehemiah 2, 4, and 6

Virtue #3: Flourishing Churches Love the Local – Nehemiah 2, 4, and 6

Our buildings and our relationships with God, with ourselves, and with each other require regular maintenance. While the ancient Israelites needed to build walls to ensure their safety, today we need to continue the Methodist tradition of social justice work that tears down walls of prejudice and phobias that lead to fear, exclusion, and oppression.

If we look at the success of our own HOPE Food Pantry as well as how that success has led to new connections, new relationships, and new opportunities, I think you can all agree, “Only one possible conclusion can be drawn... God has been working beside us all along.” God continues miraculously working beside us as we share with others what it means to be part of the Kingdom of God, part of the family we love, the family we call our church.

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