GPBC Culture
By Susan Fleming --
When I was in school, a professor assigned us to research and write a paper on our culture. As I looked around the room and saw many classmates of color, I thought I wouldn’t have anything to report on. After class, I went up to my professor and told her that I didn’t think I’d be able to do this because I don’t come from any culture, as my family has lived in the United States for many generations. She gave me an amused smile, handed me a book, said “read this and you will understand”. How right she was – I learned so much that quarter about my English and Dutch ancestry. I read of values, traditions, attitudes, and sayings that I thought were unique to my immediate family, but were typical of my culture. I learned I was part of something bigger.
Here in our church, we have our own unique culture. Dick Middlebrooks’ sermon from Thessalonians 1 reminded us to “excel still more”, while encouraging us with specifics of how we love well. He spoke of our culture of service and tangible expressions of love for those who come into our building, and those who are in the community and not yet connected. There are many of us that have seen and experienced how you live out your faith, how “the word of God is at work in you” (v. 13). When someone in our church family has a need that we are aware of, we see how so many of you rise up and meet that need. You are quick to say “Yes!” when asked if you can help.
We all have seasons when we are more physically able or available and those when our abilities may be limited, but our culture of care extends way beyond providing meals or transportation. There are those of you who are gifted in repairs, gardening, auto maintenance, and other more physical tasks. Some of you are faithful in sending words of encouragement and thankfulness through texts, emails, phone call, and mailed notecards. When one of ours is in the hospital or homebound for any reason, there are those who take a few hours to visit and provide words of encouragement and prayer. Our Food Pantry extends care every week through the giving of food and conversation. Our Stephen Ministers give of their time and skill to walk alongside those who are in need of care. All together, these acts of love create the culture which defines us – we are known as a community of care because we live out what we believe. In doing so, in striving to “excel still more”, we are also part of something bigger – THE Church of our Lord Jesus Christ!!