by Derek Collard – Welcome and Engagement Coordinator
Being new at a church always comes with its challenges. You don’t know if you will fit in. If you are me, you are wondering if the rainbow flag flying is just for show or if maybe this could be a place of refuge from what you had encountered in church before; maybe you aren’t sure what to wear to fit in. All of these thoughts crossed my mind when I first came to Christ Church Cranbrook. From the outside the building seems so austere and almost has a grandiose nature that can be a touch intimidating if you don’t know what you will find inside the doors.
But looks can also be deceiving. That first Sunday, as I was walking up to the church, I met a man in the parking lot who also had on shorts and sandals like I did, and we talked about how hot it had been and was going to be. No pretense, no airs, just a genuine moment of initial connection. A kind look from a stranger that eased my anxious spirit. As I entered the sanctuary and looked around, I found a diverse group of people who all seemed to be showing up to church exactly as who they are. It is so important for us as the members of the body of Christ to not neglect who God has created us to be just for something so silly as cultural cache or acceptance into the “in” crowd, and though that seems like a lesson in a 90’s coming of age movie, it is a story that rings true for most people in this world.
I love that in our church you have the shorts and sandals crowd mingling with the buttoned-up suit wearers, passing the peace to the young mom who struggled to get the kids here on time for children’s chapel. Extending welcome and love and kindness is one of the holiest things that we can do, especially in an increasingly inhospitable world. This is the call of the church, to be a haven of rest and a space for the people of God (all people) to have genuine and loving encounters with God. I feel so blessed to have found Christ Church Cranbrook, and I consider it an honor and privilege to work with the staff and the volunteers to make this a space that is overwhelmingly known for the loving welcome that we extend to our community and to the world!
WELCOME, DEREK! Your reactions reflect well on you, and, I hope, on CCC.
I look forward to talking with you when next we meet in God’s Sacred Barn (where the animals are indeed diverse!).