From the time I was born, I have been involved in different forms of community, all of which influenced who I am. It wasn’t until I was born again spiritually that I became a part of a community that began to nourish me in the ways of God. Of all the different structures there are available to us for associating with people, none is more important than the Church. It is here that we enter into fellowship with other believers who nurture us into becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ.
I was blessed to have a man of God lead me to the Lord and also teach me some elementary principles about following Jesus Christ. He happened to be a member of a Baptist Church, so I became a member of the same church. He prayed for me, trained me in the ways of God, and answered many of the questions I had. The most important thing that happened was that he became a friend of mine until the day he died.
There have been many other people who have had a tremendous influence on me, and the common factor of each one was that they were a member of a Church. God has a course of action for us to follow, but we can’t do it alone. We need each other, and one of the most important things we can do is be available to others for companionship. Fellowship is not a means to an end; it is the objective.