Hey everyone! We hope if you’re in the midst of the snow and ice that you are warm and safe, if not, lucky you!
This week you’ll be reading more about our core value of INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY from the pen of our co-founder, Kelly Elliott. Take it away, Kelly!
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“If this world was made by a triune God, a being of community, then relationships of love are what life is really all about.”
This quote by Tim Keller has been rattling around in my head as I have reflected on the triune nature of God–God in three persons– who by his nature is a picture of love in community. By this truth, we are designed to be in community, with God and each other. We are relational beings.
After working with college students for over thirty years, this truth provides the answer to so many issues related to loneliness, anxiety, and sadness that I see in this generation. People are longing to have community–to be seen, known, and loved–not for their accomplishments or contributions, but simply for who God created them to be.
My brother, Chris, did this better than anyone I have ever known. When you were with him, he put everything aside and was fully present and engaged. He remembered names, birthdays, and took note of things that were important to others. He wrote notes of encouragement by hand–I have a box full of this evidence. His intentionality in building community made him a people magnet and ultimately reflected the love of Jesus.
The Impact Collective has chosen INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY as one of its core values because we believe that pursuing genuine relationships with others mirrors Jesus’ pursuit of relationship with us. This is a picture of the Gospel. We seek for all our trips to demonstrate intentional community through:
- Our mission team relationships
- Our community building with those we serve
- Our community with the Holy Spirit
May we be active to pursue relationship with God and others!
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To learn more about our core values, check out our “About” page on our website, stay up to date with our blog posts and The Ripple, streaming wherever you listen to your podcasts!