Okay, so I just read this sentence: What if the purpose of their gathering was to fuel each other for the adventure of living out Jesus’ mission: pursuing the kingdom?

And an entirely new paradigm for a couples’ small group in my home sprang into my mind, fully formed. Stay tuned—I’ll get back to you as soon as my husband and I and the Holy Spirit figure out what that looks like.

But wow! You have been used of the Lord in my life today.

Jenni Key is the director of communications at First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton in Fullerton, Calif.

You don’t know how thrilled I was to see the title of the new EFCA Today!  I couldn’t wait to get into it and already it has been a blessing to me. To learn practically what other churches are doing and thinking surround this is really good!

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Jeff Lindell is the pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Hamilton, Mich.

I appreciate the theme very much in this new online issue. I hope this format takes off in great ways.

My one thought about some statements made in a couple of places would be this. When we think that Jesus began a mission, not the church, and the mission is what it’s all about, not the church, we’ve really missed something vast from Scripture. Perhaps this has been an experiential based development for some. Perhaps church was so institutional that it couldn’t really do “mission.” However, from before the foundation of the world, the Church was God’s plan. Jesus and His Bride, the Church, were God’s will long before Jesus came to earth and began “the mission.” God’s people have always been called to be a witness. If we start to separate the two, we’re not only dividing what Scripture never divides, we’re setting bad precedent that dooms any sense of community from truly building.

Cornerstone seeks to be family. It’s how we describe ourselves to others when they come visiting or tell us they’re looking for a church: “We’re like family. We love each other. We love the Lord. We serve one another, ‘warts and all’.”

Thanks again for the theme. I look forward to more and especially, if the theme of small churches ever comes up.

Kevin Sorensen is the pastor of Cornerstone EFC in Rochester, Minn.

This says so much about the realities of being a family. Sharing the good stuff, and supporting one another through the not-so-good stuff.

Posted on Facebook by Desert Hills EFC in Phoenix, Ariz.

I just read through “Family Ties” that came in the mail. WOW! It gives me goosebumps and I can’t wait to share it with those in my church and district. I did get the e-mail earlier in the week and read some of the online articles but the mailing took me back into the website. I just sent it to women that I’m investing in, as they are in charge of coming up with “small groups” for our church this spring. I told them they have GOT to read this. It is SO exciting being part of the EFCA movement.

Lea Ann Brookens is the Rocky Mountain District mobilizer with EFCA RESOUND.

Today I read the entire EFCA Today offerings. Great job. Especially loved the “It Won’t All Fit” article and will use it in our staff meeting this week.

Ruth Westerholm is the director of Christian education at Branford EFC in Branford, Conn.