Grace Rancho Internship Takeaway

What an eventful summer! I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to grow through this summer internship. One of the main reasons I wanted to serve in this capacity was to gain a clearer understanding of whether the Lord might be leading me toward full-time ministry and to see what full-time ministry truly looks like. While I certainly gained that perspective, I also took away something I wasn't expecting: a deeper appreciation for what it means to be a faithful church member. Being a church member is not a step below full-time ministry. It was incredibly encouraging to watch faithful men and women step up to meet the needs of the church. A healthy church depends not only on pastors and staff who preach, teach, and shepherd, but also on members who faithfully use their gifts, time, and resources to build up the body of Christ.

Getting to know the members of our church has been one of the greatest blessings of this summer. The more you know your church family, the more you grow to love them. We are a family set apart from this sinful world, and families are meant to know and care for one another. It has been a joy to hear the testimonies of fellow believers and see how the Lord continues to conform them to the image of Christ. I want to exhort each of you to continue to introduce yourselves to someone you don't know well or to spend time with a member you've never really gotten to know. You may find that you have far more in common than you realize. We are all sinners saved by God's grace, all seeking to put sin to death and put on Christlikeness, and are all in need of the encouragement that comes from the fellowship of believers.

If I had to summarize my biggest takeaway from this summer in one sentence, it would simply be this: God has given me a greater love for His church.