One of my favorite times of the week is the fellowship
half-hour between services on Sunday. I like to get back to the fellowship hall in time to finish my coffee, but I also want to take my time and talk to people along the
way. It’s a great time to really look at people as you pass, ask them how they’re
doing, and take time to listen.
Once you get to the large room with coffee and doughnuts,
listening is going to be hard. There is a variety of ages and even languages to enjoy. There is lots of conversation, laughter, and
music, but that’s ok because it’s a joy to watch folks interacting with each
other and to hear little snippets of talk: Well, here you are . . . That was
beautiful! . . . How have you been? . . . I’ll just have one doughnut.
These are not monumental conversations, but they are
meaningful just the same because they allow us to share moments of our lives
with others. A smile or a pat on the back can sometimes communicate care and
concern as well as an extended conversation.
I love to watch the children sitting together sharing
secrets or hiding under the table munching snacks. They are learning that
church is a warm and friendly place and that the people there love them.
I am so grateful our staff developed this plan for
Sundays. I know it’s a lot of work for several people. I see them week after
week, picking up and sorting things out, but they are helping to make possible
the admonition found in scripture to “exhort one another” (Hebrews 3:13), to “comfort
each other and edify one another” (I Thess. 5:11).
Certainly we carry out these admonitions in other ways as
well. I hope you are involved with a small group and that you take the opportunity
to connect with a class during the discipleship hour. Over the years, some of
my best church relationships have been forged in these kinds of groups, and I
love bonding over God’s deep truths.
The fellowship time is a way to get to know different
people or to reconnect with longtime friends. So if you aren’t in the habit of
moseying back to the fellowship hall, give it a try. If you make it a point to
show up every Sunday, you already know--It’s more than coffee and doughnuts.
--Sherry Poff
