Creating Community: A Calling

June 3, 2022 | Tracy Troxel

One of our key commitments at Stone Hill Church is to love and serve one another in authentic community. Creating community is a critical component of what followers of Jesus must be about. The very reputation of Jesus is at stake in this priority as he declares in John 13:35, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Creating community means that we spend time together and that we ‘do’ life together. We share our lives with others, pray for one another and support one another in tangible ways as we seek to follow Jesus in a broken world. The pandemic deeply curtailed our ability to develop community for the past 26 months. And a more pervasive problem: our busy Mid-Jersey culture doesn’t foster community very well either.

This summer we are providing a number of opportunities for developing community at Stone Hill.  I want to encourage you to participate as you are able. All of the events attempt to provide a context for creating community within the normal church schedule. I hope you will be able to attend at least one of these events and begin to build connections with others as we seek to become a more consistent and comprehensive community of followers of Jesus.

  • Koinonia Pentecost Potluck Fellowship (Sunday, June 5): This is a potluck so bring a dish to share. We will begin serving food right after Sunday School at 11:30 a.m. We will also serve food after the 2nd service at 12:30pm. All of us need to eat lunch and since you are already at church why not stay and connect with others at Stone Hill as we celebrate the unity and diversity of the body of Christ?
  • Free Indeed Mini Conference (Friday, June 17 at Central Church in Ewing): We will be eating dinner together with our partner churches: Transformation Church of Trenton and Central Church. After dinner, we will spend time reflecting on the gospel orientation of Juneteenth and how the gospel can provide healing and redemption to our broken world. Check out the upcoming Happenings and the bulletin for more details on this event.
  • Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast (Sunday June 19 at 10:30 a.m.): This brunch will provide an opportunity to honor our Sunday School volunteers, but it also provides an opportunity for us to eat together. Even if you don’t normally come to Sunday School, please come and connect with others.
  • All Church BBQ & Festival (Sunday July 17):  Join us for this mid-summer all church event sponsored by the Church Life Team. On Sunday afternoon (after the worship services), we will have lunch and games at the Princeton YMCA. This is a great way to connect with our congregation and the new families who attended CAMP this summer. Rumor has it that we will have a dunk tank and that I, along with other pastors, will take a turn, so get your pitching arm ready!

 I hope that this summer you can take time to create and develop community with others in and out of our SHC family for the glory of Jesus.