Church is all about community. Some people have gone to church for several years and have not been able to make valuable connections with others and make friends. I am still wondering how people can stay that long in a church without the experience of community. Others walk into a new church once, twice or three times and then never come back because they have not been able to make a connection.
You may wonder how you can successfully plug into a church. Let me give you a few suggestions that will help you feel at home at a church:
Be open to other people, even though it seems threatening, especially when you are a shy person. Sometimes we communicate with our body language that we are not open to other people, for instance by crossing our arms. Or we avoid eye contact. Just find one person that you feel you could connect with and that person may help you connect with several more people.- Join a small group. In Thousand Hills they’re called Life Groups. They’re a great way to connect with others and grow together in your relationship with God. You get to build friendships with people on a real personal level here.
- Find a place to serve. There is no better way to meet new people, both the people you serve with and the people you serve. Probably one of the best teams to join to quickly get to know a bunch of people at Thousand Hills is the coffee team.
There are probably plenty of other ways to build friendships in a church. But why don’t you try these first? It might revolutionize your life and help you build the friendships you have been longing for.