Assimilation

We went to the "wrap up" meeting for the York Relay for Life last night and I think I learned something valuable about assimilation.

Here's what I noticed last night. This was not my first Relay for Life meeting. In fact we attended a rally or team meeting every month before the relay. I noticed that something felt different last night. I felt like "part of the team". I felt like I "knew" people. It felt more like family last night...so much so that my new "family" felt comfortable making fun of the fact that I can't fill out a form properly to save my life. (Can anyone say-administrator needed?)

So what changed? Relay! One night of serving together for a common cause did more for "assimilation" than all the rallies and meetings. It makes me think that the best way to move someone from "spectator" to "team member" or "family" in church is not to fill their lives with more meetings and classes, but to actually get them out onto the "playing field" of life-serving others, together. It certainly worked for me...