Big and small

The first day arriving at college is a daunting one for every freshman student. Whether it be a campus large or small, the feeling of loneliness is pervasive, no matter how energized your college campus, dormitory, dorm hall, and dorm suite might be. The need to feel like you belong? It creeps in.

How much more disconcerting then if you are a Christian where you think you have found fellowship with one of the main campus ministries, only to find yourself, once again, wondering if you're meant to be a "sojourner" even amongst fellow believers. Isn't it supposed to get easier once you find the local church that comprises the capital "C" church? But it happens - whether the campus is in the tens of thousands or a few hundred, there are Christians - both young and those who are well-seasoned - who don't feel the sense of community the way the Apostle Paul describes in Philippians 1. 

Jeanna and I have known Madeline since before we were married, and we are now approaching anniversary number 20. Our eldest daughter is preparing to apply for colleges in the next few months, and we're about to come full circle in being shepherded by Madeline over these 2+ decades. We know our daughter has a fervor for the Lord and will seek out fellowship, but we also know from walking along side Madeline that many students who want to grow in their relationship with Jesus through the college experience can fall through the cracks. And that is where Madeline and her ministry become so important - because instead of the student having to figure out where they fit in within the campus body of Christ, Madeline seeks them out personally and draws them into a discipling relationship. And like that, the smallest of the small "c" church becomes part of the capital "C" Church.  

We want the Church to feel both "big" and "small." We want it to be big because we want Christ to be proclaimed as King, for the body of believers to grow, and to see evidence in as many as possible the saving power of the Gospel. But we also want it to be small, and I think that is because God means it to be a "small" faith where Christ is the Good Shepherd who will leave the 99 of his flock to pursue the one. It is a faith that is meant for "you" collectively, and "YOU" specifically. The way the Psalmist says in 139:14 - "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." That is specific, and it is personal, and if we embrace the idea that we are made in God's image, a three-in-one Godhead is the holy longing for a one-with-three (body, soul, spirit) human being. 

How important is it then that the Church feel both "big" and "small." And that evangelism, not to the masses, but to the person - to you, through people like Madeline - are essential and necessary whether you're a freshman at a university or 30 years removed with a spouse, children, a job, coworkers, and an endless array of questions about how to persevere through life in a fallen world. Gospel-driven evangelism starts with the one, just like Jesus called his 12 apostles individually. And through that, God calls us collectively, as Paul wrote in 2nd Corinthians 1, to comfort us all in our troubles so we can comfort and encourage others.