In 2003, Britton and I moved our family from Regina to Calgary. We began looking for a new church to be a part of. Because I grew up in Regina and attended one church for the majority of that time, I was looking forward to “church shopping.”
The first Sunday in Calgary, we attended a church that wasn’t too far from our home. I was a little anxious because we knew no one there. We were greeted at the door by an older couple who immediately took us under their wing and helped us get our kids registered and into kids’ church. They even gave my wife a carabineer key chain that we still have and use 18 years later.
After dropping our youngest two off in kids’ church, Britton, our oldest daughter, and I went into the auditorium and found a seat not too far from the back. The worship service was good. There was that awkward moment midway through when the pastor asked us to stand and greet those around us. I reluctantly stood; I remember three people coming over from another section to ask if we were new and to introduce themselves.
After the service we picked up our kids; my son and I began suggesting places where we could go for lunch. As my family began to walk towards the exit, the older couple we had met when we entered found us and invited us to attend a Welcome Lunch – a lunch for new people in the church. My son and I had already picked a place for lunch, so I began to say no, but Britton beat me to the punch and said, “Sure!”
We walked into a big room with round tables and sat down near the back (see, I’m just like you; I like the back row too!). The tables began to fill up; just before the Welcome Lunch began, a man named Ian and his wife, Joyce, asked if they could join us. This was the start of a relationship I enjoy to this day. In fact, if you have been around Living Hope for a while, you have met Ian, as I invited him to speak here two years ago.
As we walked out to the car after lunch, my plan to “church shop” was over. My family informed me that we had found our new church. The people we met that day took a bunch of outsiders and made them feel like insiders; they made us feel at home, like family.
This weekend we will wrap up our series “The Outsiders” by looking at Luke 8:19-25. We will learn some things that Jesus said about the people who choose to follow him. We are going to discover that Jesus envisions that his followers, his church, would be a family of outsiders who are continually inviting others to become part of the family. I hope you’ll join us!
See you Sunday,
Pastor Kirk
PS…We are having a Welcome Lunch on November 7th! If you’d like to join us, email info@mylivinghope.ca and let us know. We would love to help you get to know us and become part of our church family!
