What If Church Actually Worked?
Look around. We're living in an epidemic of isolation, and frankly, our churches might be some of the last places where real community still happens. This fall's sermon series "Together" isn't just about feeling good on Sundays. It's about building something that actually works.
I've been thinking about what Christine Pohl writes in Living into Community: that real belonging comes down to four practices: keeping promises, telling the truth, expressing gratitude, and offering hospitality. Here's what I know from experience: promise-keeping is everything. Without it, you don't have community. You have a social club.
Too many of us treat church like a service we consume rather than a community we create. But as Pohl and Christopher Heuertz put it in Friendship at the Margins, true connection requires us to be "disarmed," vulnerable yet strong, present rather than transactional. This isn't about networking or checking boxes. It's about showing up consistently, especially when it's inconvenient.
And let's be honest about the hard stuff: forgiveness isn't optional. L. Gregory Jones reminds us that forgiveness is "a way of life that makes for peace," not a one-time event, but a discipline that rebuilds what's broken and unites what's divided.
Here's my vision for our church: a community that keeps its word, speaks truth in love, celebrates freely, welcomes boldly, and forgives like we mean it. But vision without action is just wishful thinking.
So here's your challenge this fall: don't just attend church, build it. Join a small group. Pick a ministry and dive in. Invite someone new over for dinner. Let's create the kind of Spirit-formed community that transforms not just us, but our entire town.
The question isn't whether God dreams big things for Elkin. The question is whether we're ready to build them.
Grace and Peace,
Dr. Kaury
