Pulling Up Chairs - Madi Prentice

Last week we had our Women’s Community Campfire night at Hope City. The rain had held off for a bit and we started to circle up around the fire outside. By the end of the evening, every single woman had brought a chair to squeeze into the circle outside of the church. What started as a small group, kept expanding until all of us had left our smaller tables of games or snacks inside to join everyone around the fire. I looked around the circle and there were women of every age and background- including some who had never been to an event at Hope City and ones that have been there from the start. It was such a clear picture of the church and our values, there’s always room to pull up another chair and you’ll be welcomed when you do so. As we go through this Unfractured series together, it has been incredible to see topics that often make people tense up used to bring us together and welcome our differences. 

Acts 2:46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts

This is the church- these circles of welcoming community. I want to invite you to step into a circle this fall if you aren’t already in one. And if you are, I want to encourage you to welcome others into your circle. Political seasons always give people a reason to step out of community but as we learn about the different leans of those within the body of Christ, my prayer is that we would all gather together to continually give our bow to Jesus. So keep pulling up chairs and stepping into circles.
 

Madi Prentice 
Student Ministry Director | Hope City Church