You never know who you might meet!

Gethsemane’s Children’s Ministry program is based on relationships; children’s relationship with their class mates, their teachers and most importantly their relationship with God. We nurture these relationships throughout the 12 years a child is part of the “Children’s Ministry” program. My guess is that many of you have witnessed these relationships; girls and boys hanging out with each other after Sunday school and children who feel as comfortable with their Sunday school teacher as they do with friends or relatives. 
  
These are examples of spiritual friendships. Do the kids realize this? Probably not. But the reason many of these children are friends is because their parents felt the need to enter this building of faith on a Sunday morning and have their child learn about God.  Both Gethsemane and these children’s parents felt strongly that their children’s relationship with God should be nurtured and the bonus is the development of other spiritual friendships.  

Spiritual friendships are not just for kids – though for some families, while the kids are engaged in spiritual friendships, the parents are not.  We at Gethsemane have not necessarily made it easy for adults to form these relationships on a Sunday morning. I know how it feels to look in the pews and feel like you don’t really know anyone. Hey, it took my husband and me nearly 5 years until we stayed for fellowship time after church. But starting this summer and moving into the fall Gethsemane is invested in helping adults form spiritual friendships while also hopefully strengthening relationships with God. 
In June we will start a small group ministry as part of our last Element of a Living Faith - Spiritual Friendships. This fall while the Sunday school kids are deepening their relationship with God, their classmates and teachers, adults will have educational opportunities offered at the same time as Sunday school.  Stay tuned and check our website frequently for more information about these opportunities.

A church of 118 years has layers of relationships in its history and for some of you, your whole social group may be formed from spiritual friendships that have grown within the walls of Gethsemane. Others may still be looking around the pews and not feeling like they know anyone. If this is you,  I encourage you to join a small group this summer or partake in adult education this fall. And if this is not you,  I encourage you to look beyond your existing relationships; you never know who you might meet.