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The Gift Of Inclusion: The Power Of Accessible Worship
The word inclusion has become a loaded term in our world today. Too often, it gets tangled up in debates and controversies that divide rather than unite. But at its heart, inclusion is a simple, beautiful concept: making room for everyone, ensuring that no one is left out, and creating spaces where all people feel they belong.
That’s what church is meant to be. A place where differences fade, where love abounds, and where everyone—no matter their story or circumstance—has a seat at the table.
I remember being a kid, and feeling like I didn’t fit in anywhere. I was different. I was bullied. My ADHD brain worked differently than all the other kids. But on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights, the soft organ music, the warm smiles and handshakes, the patient and kind folks that treated me like they were my aunts and uncles. “You’re getting so tall, bud!” “Hey, I heard you play that sax on the field at halftime last week. The band sounds great this year!” At church, I was included, respected, and welcomed.
The pastor taught us in his warm Texan drawl about Jesus. Jesus welcomed sinners and made them saints. Jesus healed those who couldn’t see and those who couldn’t walk. Jesus scolded those who tried to chase away the little kids.
At church, I wasn’t called names. Even the kids that called me names at school, didn’t call me names at church. It was truly a sanctuary.
When my family moved to Bradford, we visited a couple of wonderful churches with wonderful people. But when we found Open Arms Community Church, we instantly knew we were home. We felt welcomed and embraced like we were family, from the moment we walked through the door and up the stairs.
Here’s the thing that I notice now – We walked up a set of stairs from the lower parking lot. Then we walked up another flight of stairs to get to the auditorium.But not everyone has the ability to navigate those stairs. As we move to our new location, we’re committed to removing barriers and creating a space where everyone can join us in worship.
Deeply rooted in our church’s DNA and core values are: Acceptance: Welcoming and loving all with God’s Love and Action: Sacrifical service to others. I can’t help but see not only that we need to be including others, but that we should be going out of our way to make sure that others are included.
One of the greatest joys of my time at Open Arms over the past 20 years has been worshiping with people very different from myself. I’ve had the privilege of singing with groups of individuals from Evergreen Elm, who may have an intellectual disability, but who worship with joy and enthusiasm and fill our church with love. I’ve had the joy of praying with men and women who are celebrating their first day of sobriety, starting their new life, and praying that they can get on their feet. I’ve had the honor of studying the Bible with students from Pitt Bradford, with their inquisitive and thoughtful questions. We’ve even had many people attend our church who don’t share our faith at all, but who want to explore and understand what it means to be a Christian. Each of these individuals—those overcoming addiction, students asking big questions, and those with disabilities worshipping with pure joy—has enriched our church community. They remind us of the beauty of God’s family, where every person has something to offer. We welcome them all truly, with open arms, and our deepest hope as a church is that we follow the model that Jesus set for us in welcoming all to come to the table.
That’s why this Giving Tuesday Campaign is so important to us. As we prepare to move into the heart of the city, to be even more involved into the work of investing in and making a difference in our community, we want to invite the Bradford community to help us make our new facility a church where people of all abilities can come to learn about God, to connect with other people, and to feel how valuable they are to a church family.
Together, we can build a space where every person feels seen, loved, and included. Join us this Giving Tuesday to make “A Church For All” a reality.
Please pledge your support at openarmscommunitychurch.org/churchforall
The Power of Belonging: God’s Invitation to a Family
There’s a powerful message in the idea of “belonging,” and it’s something that, for many of us, can take years to truly understand. It’s easy to overlook, especially when we feel disconnected or like we’re not fully part of something bigger than ourselves. But belonging is a theme that runs deep throughout the Bible and our lives.
We all have those moments where we feel like we don’t belong. Whether it’s walking into a room where no one knows us, or sitting in the middle of a crowd yet still feeling isolated. It can seem like a lifetime before we find the place where we truly feel at home. It can take time and persistence—sometimes even years—to find the people who will help us see the world differently, who will help us understand that there’s something deeper than the superficial or the fleeting.
God’s Invitation to Belong
I can vividly remember when I first started exploring faith. It was a time when I didn’t know how to pray and didn’t understand how the Christian community worked. I was frustrated when others would tell me, “Well, did you pray about it?” Because, honestly, I didn’t know how to pray. I wanted answers, guidance—practical help. But over time, through those same people gently nudging me toward God, I began to realize that belonging wasn’t just about having answers, but about opening my heart to a relationship with God and with others in His family.
The invitation to belong in God’s kingdom is one of the most beautiful aspects of the faith. He doesn’t just welcome us as strangers; He calls us His children. In John 1:12, we read, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” This is not just a title we carry like a badge. This is a relationship—one that requires acceptance and a willingness to grow within the family of believers.
The Church as a Family
Belonging to God means belonging to a larger family, a community that spans time and space, a family that supports, encourages, and holds us up in ways we never imagined. Ephesians 2:19 says, “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household.” This passage reminds us that we are no longer disconnected; through Christ, we are members of God’s household. We are part of something greater than ourselves, something eternal.
Throughout my journey, I’ve faced dark moments, and through those times, the church family was there. I’ve received random messages or kind gestures from people who, unknowingly, met me in my brokenness. Those moments were not coincidences; they were God’s way of showing that He had placed people in my life to remind me of His love.
But there’s also the question: What happens when we belong in the wrong place? We can easily get caught up in the wrong kinds of communities—places where our belonging is based on temporary or superficial connections.
Belonging in the Wrong Place
In the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:1-8, Jesus explains the different types of soil where the seed of the Word falls. Some seed falls along the path and is eaten by birds, some falls on rocky ground and withers away, and some falls among thorns and is choked out. Only the seed that falls on good soil produces fruit.
We all know the feeling of being in the wrong place, of belonging somewhere that leaves us feeling empty. There was a time in my life when I felt a false sense of belonging at a bar. Everyone knew my name, the bartender knew my drink, and the regulars had a place set aside for me. But it wasn’t real. Years later, I can’t even remember the names of the people I spent time with there. The connection was fleeting, temporary, and ultimately empty.
That’s what Jesus was pointing to in this parable. Belonging to places or groups that aren’t rooted in something eternal, something real, will ultimately leave us scorched, withered, and lost. But when we find our belonging in God’s family, it’s a connection that multiplies, it grows deeper, and it lasts forever. Matthew 13:8 says, “Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.” That’s the kind of belonging that makes a difference in our lives.
Living Out Our Belonging
So how do we live out this sense of belonging in our daily lives? It starts with us. We need to cultivate environments where others feel accepted, where they feel like they truly belong. This means looking beyond differences and recognizing the inherent value of every person. Loving God and loving people—that’s at the heart of everything we do.
It can be difficult, though, especially when we encounter people who are different from us—whether in appearance, beliefs, or behavior. But if we want to create a sense of belonging, we have to start by practicing empathy. Romans 12:15 tells us to “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” Empathy isn’t just about understanding someone’s situation; it’s about truly listening and being present without judgment. Sometimes, the simple act of listening can bridge the gap between isolation and connection.
In a world where everyone is busy talking about themselves, vulnerability can be a powerful tool for building real relationships. Sharing our own stories—the highs and lows—can create a space where others feel comfortable doing the same. James 5:16 encourages us to “confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” Vulnerability doesn’t just build trust, it helps others know they are not alone.
We can also extend a hand to those who are on the outskirts—those who sit alone, who look or think differently. Galatians 6:10 says, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Sometimes, a simple invitation to coffee or a kind word can make all the difference in someone’s day.
Creating a Culture of Belonging
As a church, as a community of believers, we are called to create spaces where everyone feels like they belong. We need to break down walls of division, whether they are walls of cliques, judgment, or favoritism. Let’s encourage inclusion in our homes, workplaces, and churches. Let’s celebrate diversity and create environments where everyone can thrive.
Romans 15:7 reminds us, “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” If we want to live out the kind of belonging that God desires, we must accept others as they are, just as Christ has accepted us.
When we belong to God’s family, it’s a belonging that transcends time and place. No job, no relationship, no bar, no restaurant can give us the lasting sense of belonging that we find in God’s family. We are called to be a part of something eternal, a community of love, grace, and purpose.
God is inviting each of us to belong—not just as members of a church, but as beloved children in His family. And He’s asking us to extend that invitation to others. Let’s live out our belonging by reaching out, loving others, and building a community where everyone can find a place to call home.
‘At Last, You’ve Come’: Misty’s Life-Changing Microchurch Journey
When Misty Surine joined her microchurch, she didn’t anticipate how profoundly it would transform her relationship with God. While she had called herself a Christian for most of her life, there was a depth of connection she hadn’t yet experienced. Through her microchurch, Misty found both a community of encouragement and the challenge to live out her faith more intentionally. What followed was a remarkable journey of healing, surrender, and rediscovering God in a way she never imagined. Here’s what she had to say:
Being part of our microchurch has been a huge contributor to my changed relationship with God. I have followed Him most of my life, and have called myself a Christian, doing things that I thought would be pleasing to Him. I prayed and gave thanks, I tried to be kind and forgiving to others and I tried to listen to His will for my life.
In the past year, much of which has been spent with our microchurch, I have experienced something I can only describe as life changing, or maybe soul changing. There was clearly a piece missing in my relationship with God, and I believe the change is tied closely to two things: First, a committment to share my love of him consistently with others, and secondly, to put my faith into tangible action. As I began doing more of these two things, I felt God pushing me… quite uncomfortably… to address a few lingering hurts in my heart. That push was so strong, the voice so loud that it was impossible to ignore. I obeyed His command, though reluctantly and with fear, and began to dig into these old wounds. In the coming months, nothing short of a miracle occurred in my heart. I felt God moving so powerfully that all I could do was surrender to it. He laid all the pieces of my life out before me and made me look at each of them, not with my eyes, but with the consideration of a Father who has been gently teaching his child how to stand, how to walk, and finally, how to kneel. I cannot express the transformation that took place. Everything I thought I knew about Him shattered, like I’d been looking for Him in the reflection of a mirror and suddenly I was able to SEE what had been there all along. How had I missed it all these years? How had I been so close, and yet so desperately far away?
Those keys, keys of seeking Him with intentionality along side others, and putting my overflowing, pent-up faith into action, opened a door I didn’t know was there. I don’t know that I ever would have found it if not for our microchurch. I felt like God said “At last, you’ve come.” It’s been the most beautiful experience of my life.
– Misty Surine
The Least of These Riders
Misty’s story is a powerful reminder of the life-changing impact of community. In a microchurch, you’ll find a space to grow closer to God, build meaningful relationships, and discover how to put your faith into action. Are you ready to experience this kind of transformation? Join a microchurch today and take the first step towards your own incredible journey. Sign up here!