BY MICHELLE WILLIAMS, GRACE ATTENDER
I was pregnant with our oldest child the first day we walked into Grace Church. Even though I wasn’t yet actively parenting, I knew that our children were a big motivating factor for our family’s decision to find a stable church home. I appreciated the influence that church offered in my own youth, and I wanted our kids to have the opportunity to meet and love God—and to find friends.
Not even a parent yet, and there was the Holy Spirit guiding me to be concerned about community for my children. I know it’s the Holy Spirit, because every parent I’ve ever met is driven by that same intuition to lead their children to community. And let me say this: I’m so glad we put our family’s roots down at Grace Church. In my journey as a parent, I’ve learned so many indispensable teachings at Grace about loving and guiding our children in life. The children’s programming is a treasure of blessings for their own spiritual growth. Also, my understanding has been deeply enriched regarding the multi-layered importance of community for all of us—it’s about more than our kids making friends.
My relationship with God grows the most when I have a steady stream of His grace coming at me from multiple angles and through a diversity of people. It’s no different for our children. Each time our kids walk through those doors and are loved by other people who know God, I know their faith will be strengthened. The trusted community they build with other adults affirms their worth and provides them with more safe harbor options through life’s challenges than my husband and I could offer them alone.
At this moment in time, there also seems to be an intrinsic link between our kids’ community and our own community. Maybe that’s the Holy Spirit as well. It not only affords us the blessing to be closer to our kids and share memorable experiences with them and their friends, but we’re also raising our kids alongside other people who offer uniquely valuable perspectives and insight. When they say it takes a village, that’s the Holy Spirit dishing out God’s best parenting advice. Because when our kids are part of a supportive and loving community, as parents we enjoy the peace of God that exceeds our own understanding.
God pursues us and desires community with us, and in turn we desire community with each other because we have been created in God’s image. The Holy Spirit will always point us toward community—God put it right there in our blueprints. He wants the peace and harbor of authentic community for all of us.
Find Community Here
Whether you’re new or have been around for a while, the time is right to dive into supportive and loving community at Grace Church. Here are just a few ways to get connected:
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