In Real Life: Growing Together in Community

We live in a surreal moment of history, where with a few swipes on your device, you can start listening and following along to a Bible study, with women you’ve never met. 

Just think about that for a moment.  Whilst it may feel like you know us, and even feel like you’re in the same room as us at some points, nodding along with our conversation, the simple reality is that for 99% of you, you don’t know us personally, and we don’t know you (as much as we’d like to get to know you!).  What has become normal for us in our generation, to tune into conversations around the world, on any and every topic under the sun, would have been unimaginable for our forebears.

Why is it important to say this?  Because we are embodied creatures, who cannot simply be nourished through online conversations.  An essential part of Christian discipleship is growing in community with one another locally, where the Lord has placed us. We need to grow together with those who know us well. With those who can encourage us to walk in the gifts we’ve been given. With those who can exhort us to die to sin. With those who see us, warts and all.

Yes, there will be seasons where that is harder than we’d like.  And yes, there will certainly be seasons where it's much easier to engage from a distance online, than it is to make ourselves vulnerable in the flesh.  Jesus never said that being part of his body was going to be a bed of roses.  But he did say that it’s crucial for the health of our own spiritual lives, and for our witness to the world.

Don’t get us wrong - we love that you’re listening along to our conversations!  We remain convinced that there’s a need for what we’re doing, and that the Lord is at work as we open His life-giving word.  But our vision for the podcast remains steadfastly unchanged: to encourage, equip and model what it can look like to get the Bible open in everyday life, whatever stage of life you’re at.  The podcast isn’t an end in itself  - it’s simply a means to help you to grow together with those around you in real life.