Disciples, Disciples everywhere

I have many friends from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) that I have grown close to over the years through various church youth groups, the Indiana Youth Commission, regional camps, and the General Youth Council, and again as I have become a part of a new church congregation in Nashville. A wonderful part of having these friends from this church community is the times that I can spend with them enjoying their company and reminiscing about our past experiences. I spent this past weekend doing just this as I visited two of my friends at Transylvania University. I have known both Matt and Sara for many years. The three of us spent a lot of time together as members of the Indiana Youth Commission and shared many fun memories at the wonderful Bedford Christian Camp in Bedford, IN.

The time I was able to spend with these two friends was priceless. Moving away from camp friends often leads us to lose contact, but this weekend reminded me of how important it is to maintain those relationships with people that you have been so involved with over the years. Supporting the friends that we make is an important part of maintaining those friendships, and it is also very fun to spend time just hanging out and laughing. Sara and I spent some time this weekend just sitting around talking about our camp and IYC memories and looking at old pictures from our middle school camp days. It is fun to think about all of our camp friends and where everyone is these days and what we are all doing with our lives. Many of us are in college, some are getting engaged. Some have moved far away while others have remained close to home.

The different paths that we follow throughout our lives somehow seem to bring us back together at moments along the way. This is amazing to me. It is exciting to know that no matter where you may travel as you follow your dreams, there is bound to be a Christian Church that will welcome you and friends that will be there to support you. Being a part of the HELM Leadership Fellows is another way in which I am able to expand my personal community of DOC friends, and I am excited to meet more people as the years pass. It is very important that the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) continues to facilitate positive relationships between the members and the different regions of the church. The community that this denomination has is a vital part of maintaining the future of the church.