The Mission Church of the Nazarene

     I sometimes take the local church for granted. I grew up in the church, it was (for the most part) a place of comfort and support for me. When I began working as a pastor in churches, I found this support even more important.
     There are times where support was fleeting, or absent, and even a few times hostility replaced support, but overwhelmingly the church has been a place where if I needed help I could go.
     So when my car needed a new tire a couple years ago, it was a guy from our small group who showed up and replaced my tire while we were out of town. I was surprised, yet at the same time, that's what church does, steps in when you need help and support.
     I've always considered myself a part of the church, because I have always been included from a young age in the life of the church, with parents who emphasized that church wasn't solely a place we go, but something we participate in.
     The other day, my eyes were opened to how much I take that for granted.
      Our church, The Mission Church, partners with another Nazarene church on our district, Duneland Community church, who brings a group of young teenagers on a regular basis to serve alongside us. They launched their school year with a 24 hour service retreat with us this past weekend.
     It's a lock-in, but with a service aspect. Which is really amazing.
     We invited everyone from our church to come out on the Friday night of their arrival for a bonfire, and to spread the word to anyone else in the neighborhood who would like to come.
     The boys from church showed up early, in great anticipation of meeting kids around the same age as them from another church, and to play games.
     While we were setting everything up, and waiting for their arrival, I told the boys "You guys have to remember to be good hosts."
      They got very excited and replied "Wait? Are we hosting them?"
       I responded with "Well this is your church isn't it. And since our church is hosting them, and you are a part of this church, then that means you are hosting them."
      Then the smiles really started. They got really big eyes and said "This is our church! This is our church too! We get to host them! We are the hosts!"
      A lump caught in my throat a little bit, at how excited they were to be included. To have someone say "This is your church too." They were so proud, so excited, and waited with eagerness to greet our friends with cheers of welcome.
     They sat our guests around the bonfire and took time to ask each of their names, and a few things that they were interested in. They took the time to include our guests in games and in laughter.
      As neighbors walked by, they too were welcomed into the circle. Young and old, eating hot dogs, marshmallow sticking to our faces, laughing, getting to know one another, tears in our eyes from the smoke, we were the church. Friends we just met, and friends we've known for a year. We were the Church and this was a thin place.
       The kingdom of God was so close, as one of the boys from our church said the prayer for the food, as the older kids helped the younger ones make marshmallows. As a little neighbor girl ran up and hugged me. As Mac knelt over the fire making her the first s'more she had ever eaten in her life. The kingdom of God was so visible as kids from the neighborhood begged their parents to stay just a little bit longer.
      And as I lay my head on my pillow, far later than the time I'm used too, my hair still smelling of smoke, I knew that I had been in the presence of Jesus that night, and that I had seen the Church with new eyes. I could rest with an excitement in my heart that "This is my church too!" and what an amazing church it is.