I was recently asked if it was okay to participate in SFC if someone was not a Christian. My answer was a resounding yes. We are a community for people interested in sharing life and serving others. We use Christian language and come from a Christian tradition, but we welcome all people to share a meal at the table and to learn and grow together in love.
We have folks who struggle with the word God, people who have been deeply hurt by Christians and the church, we have people who see God a little differently than the orthodox theology would see God, and we have some who hold mainline beliefs. We learn from each other and can share our hopes, questions, and love with one another. We serve together, cry together, laugh together, and wonder together.
Some people may startle at this idea of not having to be a Christian to be part of our faith community. In my opinion there are lots of churches out there already doing an excellent job of getting all the people who believe the “right” things together. We’re the place for everyone else. There is no statement of belief or creed you have to affirm to belong here. Respect, a willingness to share honestly, a longing to serve the community, and the intention to grow spiritually are what are needed to be a fully engaged member of this faith community.
The purpose of our community is to be intentional in contemplating what we believe and then to live that out. The trick is I don’t tell anyone what to believe or how to live it out. We discover that together. And each person’s answer will be different.
We are a patchwork of people all willing to be in this together. Our beauty comes as our unique thoughts and expressions are shared to become a whole. We make each other brighter, better, and together we form a pattern of love and service. I see God at work in this transformation of separate people in to a community and that truly is a sight to behold beyond all labels and orthodoxies.
-Eilidh
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