How Do I Get Connected?
Many people hop from church to church, trying to find that special connection, but many times seeming to miss the mark. So, this begs the question…why?
Well, we can’t speak for every church out there, but here at Severn Run we believe that life is better connected. *cue the cheers* Ok, ok…if you’ve ever been to a church service, then you understand my meaning there. If not, then simply put, those are words that we say every week, and we have a dedicated group of people who truly believe in the power of that statement.
Basically, what I’m saying is that you can’t blame the Church at Severn Run if you’re having a hard time feeling connected. Now, now, don’t stop reading just yet, this isn’t meant to sound conceited. We realize that not every single person who walks through our doors will feel that magical connection, but what we are saying is that we try to make it as easy as possible to get connected right from the get go, and that the ball really is in your court to make that first contact and let us know that you’re interested in getting connected.
So, how do you do this you ask?
Well again, if you’ve ever been to a service, then you’re probably familiar with the fact that you’ve been sitting *wink wink* on that first step of connecting every Sunday since you started coming. We have on average about 1300 people in attendance on any given Sunday between 3 services, and there’s just no way that we can know who the people are that aren’t yet connected. You need to let us know, and the best way to do that is the Connect Cards that we have on the seats during Sunday services. Of course, you can always come up to the main desk in the atrium and one of our helpful volunteers can get you plugged in as well, but chances are they’ll probably still ask you to fill out the Connect Card. *hint hint*
“So, I filled out the card. Now what?” (Don’t mean to put words in your mouth, but I’m quite confident that I’ve inspired you to fill out that card already!)
Connect Groups
Well, I’m glad you asked! The next step is that someone from our staff will reach out to you to welcome you to the church and give you some information on how to get plugged in. One of the best ways for you to get connected with others at Severn Run is to join a Connect Group. We have a variety of them, so don’t worry…we’ll find one that suits you. And if we don’t (which is unlikely, but we realize that we are only human) then perhaps we can work on putting one together that you can connect with. But as I said, I think you’ll be impressed with the list of groups we already have. We have groups for anyone from newly graduated high schoolers and young working people to families with children and ‘empty nesters’. We have men’s and women’s groups, and groups based on where you live. If you’d like to see a full list of groups with locations, times, and descriptions of what they’re all about, head on over to our church website here.
So, now that Amber Adams is happy (she’s the Connect Groups leader for the church), let’s talk about a few other ways to get connected…
Of course, you could always do it the old-fashioned way and just walk up to people and make friends, but in this day and age of Snap Chats and moody emoticons, we think that’s kind of scary. So, let’s be honest about how we will actually make friends. And for the record, I’m talking about the kinds of friends who we actually give hugs to or shake hands with, not the kinds that ‘like’ ALL of your posts, even the sad ones. (You know who they are!)
So, how can you really, honestly make real friends that you can do life with at the Church at Severn Run?
I’m glad you… ok ok, I won’t do that again, but seriously, I hope you’re ready for this answer. The answer is to get involved and serve! Now, before you run away screaming (or just switch to Facebook to watch and ‘like’ a video of your best friend’s cat), hear me out for a second.
Serving
I’m not going to get into too much detail, because *SPOILER ALERT* a blog post specifically about serving will be coming out soon. But, since we’re talking about getting connected, it’s an important point to make. You will get to know people better when you’re serving on a team weekly or monthly. It’s one thing to go hang out and have a meal with a group of people, or go through a Bible study (and I’m not knocking either…you should definitely try those too!), but when you’re serving alongside others, you get to know people on a totally different level. And when you’re serving in the church, in most cases, you will get the opportunity to meet people that you probably wouldn’t have normally met had you just been out looking for “friends”.
The point I’m trying to make with serving here is that you never know what you might find, except for good friends who love Jesus and who would love to do life together with you. However, we don’t always have tables out there, so if that’s the case this Sunday (because you’re going to stop by, right?) then just talk to the main desk and they’ll get you hooked up.
Also, if you’re not quite convinced yet, please keep an eye on the blog for our serve post, which will be coming out shortly. This blog post will address some specific areas in the church where we’re struggling to get volunteers. Hopefully this will inspire you to reach out and take a step of faith that God has put on your heart.
Don’t Delay…
Don’t let another summer go by without getting connected. Don’t miss the chance to connect with new friends and make lasting relationships. Don’t live life on your own.
Why? Because we here at the Church at Severn Run firmly believe that life is better connected!
AS