I dropped by the church office this morning to pick up some things and to check my mail. In my mailbox, there was a printed Church Membership Directory dated August 2020. Our church provides monthly updated directories for all its members so we can stay in touch with one another. This practice was being done long before the pandemic came along; it is a resources for small groups, leadership teams, and special ministries.
Finding this updated directory in my box inspired me anew to make the most of this simple yet powerful resource. There are members of my congregation and choir I have not seen in months. A quick connection with a bunch of these folks might be something they would enjoy and might encourage them through this bizarre time. As simple as it might be, the reestablished connections with good friends cannot help but encourage and empower all involved. Whether it’s a phone call, text message, email, or snail mail note, this simple directory is a lifeline of love and hope for all of us. But it is no more valuable than the paper it’s printed on if I do not use it.
What resources do you have for reaching out to friends near and distant, old and new, close and casual? Your phone’s contacts? A choir directory or congregational address list? Whatever we have to connect us to each other, let’s take it further by actually … reaching … out … to … each … other. Doing so will make someone’s day, and that someone might be you or me.
Randy Edwards
