How Serving In The Church Grows our Faith

    If we continue to believe that our Church does not need us, we will be robbed of the joys God has designed for us to experience through serving. We all need to take a risk and get involved. God will always honor those steps of faith by helping us grow so much more!

Serving...

	DIRECTLY INCREASES OUR FAITH     Watching God work in someone else's life increases our faith. In John 2:1-11, Jesus performs His first miracle at a wedding in Cana by turning the water into wine. Other than Mary, Jesus' mother, only the servers at the wedding witnessed this miracle. The wedding attendees received the benefit of the new wine, and the wedding party saved face because of the miracle, but it was the servers who had the first opportunity to witness Jesus' power. Serving allows us to experience His power firsthand and that naturally produces faith in us.
	HELPS US SEE AND EXPERIENCE WHAT WE'RE MADE FOR     Ephesians 2:10 tells us why: "... we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do." We have been gifted by God, and are incredibly valuable to Him and the Church. We are called to train each other up using the gifts, skills, and abilities God has given us. He uses our serving, and those we serve with, to reveal our gifts to us. When we serve God and others with our gifts, we experience the kind of joy we were made for.
	DRAWS US INTO AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY     God uses the people we serve and serve with to encourage us, pray with us, and teach us. Our relationships with Jesus flourishes as a result of serving. In John 17, Jesus prayed for God to protect us so we would be one as He and the Father are one. This oneness, this community of believers, is best experienced in and through participation in the church - by serving and loving one another well.
	REQUIRES OBEDIENCE AND REDIRECTS OUR FOCUS TO JESUS     The simplest way to follow Jesus is by doing what He did. In Matthew 20:28, Jesus tells us He came to serve, not be served. By being obedient to follow Jesus in this way, we get to know Him on a new level because we experience firsthand His love for others. When we begin to care for and serve others, God redirects our focus.

Small Faith Communities

    In the Gospel, the disciples see someone casting out demons in Jesus' name and try to stop him. Jesus tells them not to stop him because anyone who is not against us is for us. Jesus emphasizes the importance of being inclusive in our ministry and that good works done in His name are valuable.

    When we join together to recognize and support the good works of others, we build a stronger community. We are all working towards the same goal. This spirit of inclusiveness strengthens our faith and unity.

It was Jesus who invited his disciples into community, where they were formed in His way of discipleship. After His death and resurrection, Christians prayed together and broke bread as they were instructed by the Lord, and in doing so, shared their lives and sustenance. They supported one another by living the values that Jesus taught them. This was the early communitarianism character of the early Church.

    It is in ongoing Small Faith Communities that people are especially helped to know and to relate to one another, reflect on their life of faith in the company of others, and strive to apply the Gospel to daily life. It is within these communities that we are able to:

	Share freely about God and our life experiences.
	Learn continually about scripture, tradition, Church Doctrine, and spirituality.
	Mutually support others as well as gain needed encouragement as we share our belief in God.
	Pray, both personal and communal, together.
	Live out the mission oriented values of Christ.

    These Small Faith Communities are designed to connect us to deep, lasting friendships that help strengthen our own relationship with God. It's one of the best ways to get connected and belong to our parish family. Our Lord said, "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20). The best part about gathering together as Christians is that we can be assured that Jesus is there among us.

    We are One Body in Christ that extends outside of ourselves. We were made to complement each other and to serve God by bringing as many people to him as possible. In a small faith community we find joy, peace, happiness, and hope. It is our strength. Please consider becoming a part of one or more of our small faith communities at St. Bernadette.