What is family?

a group of people who are closely related by birth, marriage, or adoption

a group of people living together and functioning as a single household, usually consisting of parents and their children

all the people who are descended from a common ancestor

a group whose members are related in origin, characteristics, or occupation


I have a group of friends with whom I spend a great deal of time. We consider ourselves family. We confide in each other. We rely on each other. We support each other. We have fun together. When one of us is in need, the others do our best to fill that need. We have a bond that goes beyond a blood connection. Unless, of course, you count the sacrificial blood of Christ. While we do not all currently attend the same church, we all have a connection through the church. And that connection - that bond - is so strong, that even circumstances that would lead us to worship in different locations on Sunday morning cannot break the closeness we share.

Which leads me to ponder - how can others connect with each other. Another minister recently asked how we could determine and meet the needs of people in our community, in our own churches. What committees or service groups should be set up to help new moms, etc. Maybe I am way off base, but I thought about my group of friends. No church committee was necessary to establish our closeness. No pastor is contacted and asked to organize a meal or visit when one of us is sick. We take care of each other because we care about each other. So rather than establish groups and committees to learn the needs and help meet these needs of families, shouldn't we encourage small group participation and opportunities to build loving relationships? And shouldn't our members take responsibilities to become involved in groups and ministries within the church and establish friendships with other members?

So when we talk about church family, we should be trying to establish a real bond. This should not just be a figure of speech.