This is another blog re-post from “back in the day,” as part of looking back, celebrating Touchstone’s ten-year anniversary. This is a reflection I shared after our first Christmas program at the church.

Where do we go from here?

Originally posted December 21, 2004

We had our first Christmas program at Touchstone Christian Fellowship this last Sunday night. It is hard to believe that just twelve short weeks ago we had our first Sunday morning worship service. So many things have happened so quickly! It has truly been a work of the Lord. I want to thank each of you who have been praying and working and supporting the creation of this new family at Touchstone. And, it is the wonderful sense of family that is the most blessed thing about the church.

Where do we go from here? That is the question facing us as we approach the New Year. (It feels a little bit funny saying that, since we have not even completed three months at the church yet, much less a full year.)

We want to be open to anything and everything that God may have for us as a church. At the same time, I am not interested in doing things just because that is what every other church is doing. That kind of mentality steals our vision and limits our creativity. The other extreme is for us to do things that are “new” just because they are new. Traditions are often formed because they have worked and proved themselves over time. So, we want to be open to new ideas and also open to “old” ideas.

Good, meaningful relationships are essential for a healthy growing church. It is the relationships that connect people and keep people connected. And, it is also the thing that draws new people in. We need a strong sense of community to always be present at Touchstone. And, I realize that for this to take place, it requires effort and commitment on each of our parts. How community and family is built and maintained is the question we need to answer. This is the thing I am asking you to pray about, because this is where we go from here. The details of how to proceed on this course are fuzzy. We need the clear direction of our God.

–Jeff