We declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. –1 John 1:3-4

“Now is the time”–that’s the new phrase we are adopting at church these days as we begin our capital campaign. So often we wonder what we can do to add joy to our lives and to others’ and to further spread the gospel, and now we have the opportunity to act.

Vince and I have had a variety of church homes over the years because we moved fairly often. One of the most meaningful church families we belonged to was not even affiliated with an organized religion.

When we lived in Torreon, Mexico, for three years, we were truly blessed to be part of an English speaking Christian fellowship. We met weekly in a rented pre-school; our hymnals were cast-offs from a Methodist church in the States; our preachers were those among us who were willing to bring the message to the small group of 25 people. There were no programs to support, nor brick and mortar to maintain, and yet each of us came together joyfully to be in a “communion of saints” and to give glory to God, and the offerings were abundant and generous. The funds collected allowed our small group to support a local orphanage, to build an addition onto a local Baptist church, and to purchase bibles written in Spanish so that women in a tiny community could have access to the Word in a bible of their very own. Those same women showed me around the church that their community was building, and they were so proud of that sanctuary and what it meant for them to have a place to worship so close to their homes.

Here in Bonita Springs, our church life is much more traditional and it is very easy to become complacent in our commitment as disciples. Our situation here is different than it was in Torreon–or is it? Wherever we worship, we are called to witness our faith through support of the local ministries, and sometimes it takes a special group effort to move us from words to actions. Now is the time for us at Christus Victor to reflect on our discipleship and on the way we live and act. Now is the time to give out of gratitude to our generous God.