It is easy to hide behind a well-organized program. We feel productive when we schedule events and print flyers, but programs rarely result in deep transformation. Real connection is inefficient, time-consuming, and often quite messy. It requires us to move away from being administrators and toward being friends.
The Risk of Vulnerability
Programs allow us to keep people at a distance, but connection requires vulnerability. It means letting people into our homes, even when the dishes aren't done, and admitting that we don't have everything figured out. This authenticity is what people are actually starving for in an age of curated social media feeds.
Measuring What Matters
We must stop measuring success by attendance numbers and start measuring it by the depth of our relationships. One meaningful conversation on a front porch is worth more than a dozen poorly attended events. Focus on the person in front of you, and let the Spirit handle the rest.