Parking Lot Brochure

"I really want to be a part of an organism, not an organization." - Yours Truly

 

Perhaps this desire of mine could be picked apart by the intellectual and clever, and this statement picked apart and analyzed and deconstructed into nothingness by those who love to do such things based on semantics, but I don't have the energy to fight or explain it right now. So, he who has ears let him hear. You are the ones who know exactly what I mean.

 

We have some guest parking spots at our church's building. These spots have signs on poles in front of them labeled "guest parking". Just under those signs on the poles, some brochure holders are about to be attached that says, "Take one". Inside it will be a brochure informing our guests of who we are and what to expect as they come in our building.

 

I was asked to write a note in it to our guests who might find one of these brochures in their hands. I just finished my first draft. I wonder if my deep desire and heart for those people who may grab one can really be communicated through this note? I wonder if who and what we are about is contained in it? I desire to introduce these people to a group of people who are networked together by actual relationships organically, not loosely associated with each other organizationally. Anyway, give me some feedback, you who have ears, and help me with this...here it is.

 

Welcome to the gathering place of the Southwest Church of Christ. We are thankful for whatever brings you our way and anxious to know how we may serve you. It is our way to offer you the hospitality that we would offer Christ himself. So please make yourself at home. You are most welcome.

 

The group of folks who meet in this building regularly are quite an assortment of characters. We are a group of imperfect people who have found the best possible life available to us, the life of Jesus Christ. Jesus made a very large claim when he said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10) Those of us who gather here spend our time learning about Jesus and his way of living. We examine his teachings, his heart, his character, his priorities, and his mission because we believe that in him we find the way we are looking for, the truth that we all seek, and the life that our hearts long for. He made that claim as well (John 14:6), and we are finding it to be real.

 

If you would ever consider joining us, we would be so honored. We are not only learning to live more and more like Christ, but we are looking for others who want this life, too. We are expecting that God will continually place among us exactly who He wants (1 Corinthians 12:18), to make us more complete, and to keep all of us growing and functioning properly as His agents in the world on His behalf, and to help people realize their truest and grandest identity as an actual son or daughter of God (Ephesians 1:4-6).

 

Jesus is our teacher, master, and friend. Our acceptance of, obligation to, and love for him compels us to have acceptance of, obligation to, and love for you. He said that all of the laws and prophecies of the Bible can be summed up by two commands, to love God and to love others (Matthew 22:36-40), and we will spend the rest of our lives doing just that, and learning how to do it better and better.

 

So please join us as we follow Jesus, experience the love of the Father through Jesus, and are transformed by God’s Spirit into the image of Jesus. We want to walk as Jesus did (1 John 2:6). We’re not that good at it, but we are getting better (2 Peter 1:8), and it giving us life right now, and that will last on into eternity.

 

We are a little bit exclusive here, admittedly. We want real human beings, with real human problems, who need real human friendships, who desire real love for God and others in a real way, with and through their real lives.

 

If you need some real friends who will accept you like Christ does, teach you who Christ is, invite you into Christ’s life, challenge you to live like Christ, accompany you on your journey with Christ, celebrate Christ in you, model for you what Christ looks like, and remind you about who you are in Christ, and wants you to be the same kind of friend to them, then you have found the right people.

 

Welcome.

 

One of Christ’s followers here,

 

Brian Mashburn