I remember when I left the United States for England I was worried about where I would ‘go’ to church. I wondered if they would worship in the same manner I was used to and if the church would be easily accessible from where I was living in Birmingham. Ten months later, as I look back, I realize that my views on church have changed, significantly. What I learned was that I don’t ‘go’ to church because I am the church. I don’t worship once a week on a Sunday morning, but rather worship all week long as I am living alongside and loving my neighbors. I learned that church can occur anywhere. This realization has been liberating. Jesus modeled for us what it looked like to be the living and breathing embodiment of the church. I love that through the work being done in Birmingham for God's global church, we are able to live this out and share the truth of God with others.
Each Tuesday morning, I do church at a local coffee morning. I worship Christ by loving those in attendance: atheist, agnostic, Muslim, and Christian. Through love and respect, I have had the opportunity to share the love of Christ with people at the coffee morning in ways I never did when I viewed the church as merely a brick and mortar place of worship. When I embody the Companions for Hope tagline of being a neighbor on purpose, the city of Birmingham becomes my church. It becomes a church that welcomes and loves everyone. And it becomes a church that proclaims to all that God loves them and has created a path for their redemption. It is a church I love attending.
-Jenn
