Church Family
Church is not just somewhere you go...
It is where your family is. This statement may not be true for all churches, but it is certainly true for Simsbury United Methodist (SUM) if you open your heart and let the love flow in. At SUM, we know the people who walk through our doors may not be perfect, may believe differently than others, and may be on a unique faith journey, but this does not make them less Christian or less wanted at SUM. We strive to show people who walk through our doors that they are not a number but a part of a bigger family. And like a traditional family, special relationships can be formed in church because church members share a common bond.
While you may have many friends who care about you, they seldom care deeply about your soul, pray for you, encourage you when you are down, love you unconditionally, and care about where you spend eternity. That type of relationship is often unique to the church. That’s the thing about a “traditional” family: it can be an illusion. It’s also exclusive. It is a conception of family so narrow that it marginalizes countless vulnerable individuals such as orphans, singles, the LGBTQ community, and widows - the very sort of folks Jesus called us to serve.
I am one of those folks. My parents died years ago. My two brothers live in Arizona. I am essentially a family of one, or so I thought. While I have lovingly referred to everyone at SUM as my church family, until recently, I had no idea what that truly meant. After recent shoulder surgery, I experienced this unique relationship firsthand. My house was full of get well and cards of encouragement. My church family members came to visit; others took me to physical therapy and out to lunch. It was heartwarming – one big giant hug from my church family.
Most of us know a church family is special. We experience joys and sorrows together, have the same desire to live as Jesus lived, and become a family through the ups and downs of it all. The Bible teaches that being a disciple of Jesus Christ makes all believers part of Abraham’s offspring and, therefore, part of the family of God. “And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother’” (Matthew 12:49-50). Jesus conveyed a powerful teaching that His disciples are a family. The familial bond of believers goes beyond blood relations. Jesus taught that anyone who does the will of the Father is His family.
Beyond my own experiences, this familial bond was reinforced at the UMC General Conference, where the members implemented changes to ensure everyone feels safe and welcome. Besides approving a new retirement plan for clergy, granting deacons authority to offer Holy Communion and conduct baptisms in their ministry setting, the Conference approved four changes to church law that together end remaining bans related to homosexuality and protect the rights of pastors to choose which weddings to perform or not to perform. They also approved a change to the requirements that clergy practice “celibacy” in singleness — an addition made in 1984 that targeted gay candidates for ministry.
The delegates supported integrity in all personal relationships, “social responsibility and faithful sexual intimacy expressed through fidelity, monogamy, commitment, mutual affection and respect, careful and honest communication, mutual consent, and growth in grace and the knowledge and love of God.” The nation’s largest Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, and Lutheran denominations have all removed barriers to LGBTQ participation in the pulpit and at the altar. My heart is full of hope and joy that more people can share God’s gifts and our church family without fear. Now, we must learn how to welcome and engage with those who may not have felt welcome or safe in our church before.
- Eileen Brogan