For the past several weeks, there has been a emphasis at KBC on the word "reconnection." You may already be aware from a video Taylor created in May, that when we began unlimited in-person worship services we wanted to emphasize that we were not "re-opening" the church. Kirkwood Baptist Church did not cease to worship over the almost 14 months of online only worship services. Kirkwood Baptist Church did not stop doing weddings, funerals, and pastoral care through ministers, deacons, and members during our limited gatherings. We did not stop praying for one another or having Bible Study times. All of these things continued during that 14 month period, we simply had to use different mediums to accomplish these works. Due to all of these things still happening, I wanted to be clear about the language we used to define where we are at this time.
Concurrently, I think we are also entering into a new phase as a congregation, beyond simply reconnecting. Just a couple weeks ago, Kyle introduced the series that will begin, officially, on July 18th titled, "I've been meaning to ask..." We are excited for the opportunity for Sunday School classes to be using the same curriculum for 4 weeks as well as the worship services having a direct connection to the Sunday School material. We think the 4 questions that will be asked as a part of this study will be important as we all move forward in this time. One of the purposes of this study is to help us get to know each other better. I realize for some of you at KBC, you might be thinking, "Why would I need to get to know everyone better, I already know people well?" My answer is that in my time at KBC, I have learned that there are pockets of people who know each other well. These pockets of people have often been at KBC for a long time and possibly raised children together. I would also add that I don't think we know each other at KBC as much as we think we do.
Some of the stories we heard during the pandemic from people who have been a part of KBC for years had a similar theme and the theme was, "I love KBC and I am not sure I have close friends in the congregation." Now there are myriad reasons one might not have close friends in the congregation, especially as some of us are more introverted than others. At the same time, if we are going to continue in our formational path of following Jesus, one of the ways we can be formed is by getting to know one another. This process is similar to what Jesus did while on earth. He took people who otherwise might not ever have met one another, people from different walks of life and they gathered behind Jesus, learning from him and learning about one another. That became the foundation of the Church. As we engage in our work at KBC let us focus for the foreseeable future on making "new connections" at KBC. Find the people you do not know or do not recognize, ask them where they are from, or another question from the series. Spend some time getting to know the people who you think you already know, but maybe there is more to their story that you need to hear.
MV