THE Café Church service at Crediton Methodist Church, on Sunday, July 2, titled “Together” was led by Professor Stephen Lea. 

We watched a short video entitled “Together” of people who felt welcomed, celebrated, restored, supported and loved. 

They were renewed, commissioned and ready to be sent out.

This service was the culmination of the series of thinking about living on the front line of God’s kingdom and how we can put this into practice.

On each table there was a pack of playing cards and people listening on line or by telephone had already been given a pack. 

The task was to build the tallest house of cards. 

People were encouraged to work together to find the best strategy.

We learned that building a house of cards was frustrating; needs persistence,  and was difficult because there was nothing sticking the cards together.

The reading from Hebrews holds together the whole of this service.  

Let us consider how to encourage one another.  

Stephen said he was talking to three different audiences – firstly, those actually in the church building; secondly, those listening on line or telephone and, thirdly, those reading this article in the “Courier”. 

All of us are part of the church – the people of God.

This church has been on a journey over the past few months looking at what it means to be on the front line as the people of God.  

This is not a military front line but a way of trying to build new friendships. 

It is very natural for our church life to be described as a journey. 

Long before the word “Christianity” was coined, the Christians were referred to as those who followed the “Way”.  

The way we live is a distinctive way of living but the way we walk and the road we follow makes us still travellers on that “Way”. 

Stephen explained that he first came to this church some 40 years ago and remarked how hard the pews were then. 

Following the refurbishment in 2019, Stephen said the church had, in real terms, been turned inside out with modern music, colourful décor, comfortable versatile seating and on-line services. 

Today, with Café Church, the worship has been turned inside out. 

Stephen invited “Courier” readers to go along on Sunday mornings and see how the church and the worship have been turned inside out.

The church has been on a long journey, but the next stage is the hardest. 

We have to turn our community inside out.  It is not about reaching out to those already in the church. 

We need to extend a warm welcome to the community by being on the front line as the people of God.  

It is up to us to share the good news that God loves us, that through Jesus we have been enabled to share in that love, and that love is for everyone without limit or restriction. 

This is the hardest stage of the journey. 

This is where the Bible reading and the building of the house of cards shows how frustrating it can be and that we need persistence.  

That is why Jesus used the example of building several times in His teaching. We have to build up ourselves as disciples of the church. 

We need the warmth of our fellowship here to encourage one another and to spur us on to love and good works.   

We should not neglect to worship. We constantly need one another’s encouragement in faith, love and hope – that is the “Way”.

Small pebbles were handed out and Stephen encouraged us to touch them from time-to-time to remind us of the journey we are all on together, asking God to shape us for work on the front line of the Kingdom.

Bronwyn Nott