May 22, 2026
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
I wrote the following article before my son was in a very scary car accident this past week. The love and care my son and our family have been shown as he heals just reaffirms everything I wrote. What a blessing it is to be a member of this church family…
The Beauty of Being God’s Family
There’s a quiet kind of beauty in the life of a church; something you don’t always notice at first, but once you see it, you can’t unsee it. It shows up in the small moments: a child being greeted by name, laughter echoing down the hallway, hugs in the lobby. It’s why I always say that White Oak feels like a family.
Serving in Kids Ministry, I catch glimpses of this beauty often. It’s not just about lessons or activities. It’s about a group of people of different ages and different stories coming together to care for one another. It’s mature voices speaking truth and encouragement into younger lives, and younger lives, in return, reminding the rest of us what simple trust, faith, and wonder look like.
There’s something powerful about that exchange.
It’s easy to think of faith as something personal, something we carry on our own. So often though, we’re reminded that it was never meant to be lived in isolation. Faith grows best in the context of relationship; when it’s shared, practiced, and lived out in loving one another. I’m reminded of the following verse.
“Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” – Philippians 2:1-2
As Summer Bible Camp approaches, I’m excited by how this week especially brings that into even clearer focus. It’s a beautiful time of service to the children of our community and a powerful way to serve together, as one church family.
During camp I love that as we step away from the usual pace of life, something shifts. Walls come down more easily. Encouragement is given more freely. You see patience stretched and strengthened. You see and feel the ripple of joy multiply in incredible ways. You see people carrying one another… sometimes in obvious ways, sometimes in quiet ones no one else notices. And in those moments, you begin to see what happens when God’s people live like a family.
This is the kind of community we’re invited into.
Not a perfect one, but a real one. A place where we grow together, learn from one another, and reflect something of God’s heart through the way we care, show up, and stay connected.
Whether it’s serving in a classroom on a Sunday morning, joining a life group, or simply showing up when people need you most… these moments matter. They remind us that we belong to something bigger than ourselves. That we are part of a family which God is continually shaping and drawing closer together.
And there is something deeply good and deeply beautiful about that.
Your sister,
Christy
*Please pray for the children and families we will reach as this summer we host two Kids Camps, one at each campus! Summer Bible Camp at Colerain June 1st-4th and EPIC at Ross August 3rd-7th.
Christy Redford
Executive Administrative Assistant