Every church has been given a community to love and care for. Jesus tells us that our community is closely tied to our reason for existing - to bring good news to the poor, freedom to the prisoners, and recovery of sight to the blind. When we learn to recognize the poor, prisoner, and blind within our community, we come to know our 'why'. When we live out our 'why' - our future becomes discernible and achievable.

The future of the church has always been made up of members God is calling into ministry today. The unlikely conversions of the Apostle Paul and the Ethiopian Eunuch challenge and upset our expectations regarding the identity of those who will shape the church's future. God teaches us time and again that unity in faith overcomes all kinds of division.

The four marks of the church are: teaching, fellowship, the sacraments, and prayer. Every church is called to these practices, but not every church pursues them through faith. Often times we pursue them through anxiety and miss the blessing God has in store. This week we consider how to pursue the fundamentals of the church in the future by beginning from a position of faith.

We begin a new series titled: The Future of the Church. Each week we consider how the Book of Acts depicts the ideal set by the early church. After studying the past, we discuss a future for our church defined by faith vs. anxiety. During the first lesson, we study the role children and families play in the church of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.