I grew up attending the same church with both sides of my family. That church was where I found my community, felt I belonged, and served others. Then, I moved away to college and got married. My husband’s job has continued moving us around the country for the last 23 years. Each time we've moved, we've had to find a new place and people with whom we belong. Our son had to do the same two years ago when we moved here to Minnesota. Finding a local church and connecting has provided a place to belong, serve, and be supported in each location we've been.
You may not have moved as much as we have. It may be something else that has left you feeling isolated and lonely. It may be that you work from home and don’t feel that sense of connection at work, or perhaps you are a bit introverted and prefer getting your church online. Maybe you love the convenience of those contactless deliveries to your front porch – don’t we all?! While all these new comforts can be very helpful, something is missing – connection to people. We were all created to live in community with others. We need interpersonal contact and relationships to be wholly who we were made to be.
With so many feeling isolated and lonely, the Church can be a haven of belonging, give purpose to life, and provide support for difficult times. If you long for community, connecting at church could be just what you need!
Connecting to a church gives us a sense of belonging.
From the start, we have had a deep need to belong. God gives us a family to belong to, but that doesn’t always fill our needs. You may find your sense of belonging with friends who have always been there for you, no matter what. But what if you move away for college or a career change? It is hard to start over and find your way in a new place. Connecting to a smaller group at church (i.e., Bible studies, men’s or women’s groups, or small groups that meet for socialization) can bridge the gap and speed the process of finding a sense of belonging in a new place.
Here at Berean, there are so many ways for all ages to connect and find a place to belong. Here are just a few of them:
Men's Ministry:
IronWorks
Small Groups
Women's Ministry:
Bible Studies
Rooted
Mom2Mom
Giving Hands
Small Groups
Young Adults:
ECHO
Small Groups
Kids & Youth:
Berean Kids Programming
Berean Youth Programming
Connecting to a church gives us a purpose greater than ourselves.
Don’t we all want to feel like our life makes a difference in the world? To know that what we bring - our talents and actions - impacts those around us? We want our lives to matter for something bigger. By serving others, we can find our greater purpose. And in living out that purpose, we find joy and fulfillment. Finding ways to fill this desire isn’t always easy. By connecting to a church, we can have many opportunities to help others (both inside the church and outside through community outreach), providing a feeling of impact. God has a purpose for each one of us – using our gifts and talents to serve him and others.
Being a part of a local church can help us discover how we can serve and find the purpose he has for us.
Here at Berean, there are so many ways you can get plugged into serving. Click the links below for the best place to start!
Serving Within the Church
Local & Global Serving Opportunities
Connecting to a church gives us a place for support.
We all have struggles that we deal with in life. We do our best to figure out solutions, and sometimes they simply don’t work. It is hard to ask for help with the struggles we face. Having a loving, caring church community we are connected to can be the resource we need to walk through these struggles and beyond.
When we have these resources in a trusted community, we can feel safe asking for help and know that we are not alone in our times of difficulty.
Sometimes support may look like someone to pray with and for us in a specific situation. Other times, it may look like tangible needs met through specific services and support groups that help us get through. Here at Berean, we use several different care resources to walk alongside you when life gets hard. Here are just a few of them:
DivorceCare
GriefShare
Addiction Recovery Community
Soul-O-Sisters Widows Connect
Single Moms Group
All Care Resources
There's a place for you!
God created us to live in community – to love and support each other and those around us – and he gave us the Church to fulfill that need. If you feel isolated or lonely, there is a place for you here. Connecting to a church can help you feel like you belong, give you a greater purpose, and support you through life's struggles. Curious if Berean is the right place for you? Check us out HERE!
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