On Sunday we were blessed to have Mike Gordon hang out with us. What a treat for me to sit and listen to him share a simple and powerful truth: we were created for community!

He told us that we are living in what many are calling a loneliness epidemic. Sure, we are more digitally connected than ever before, yet many people feel unseen, unknown, and isolated. We can scroll for hours and still feel alone. We can sit in crowded rooms and still feel disconnected.

From the very beginning of Scripture, we are told something profound.

In Genesis, after declaring creation “good” again and again, God says something is not good: “It is not good for the (hu)man to be alone.” Everything else in creation was good—but isolation was not. Before sin entered the world, before brokenness and division, loneliness was identified as something contrary to God’s design.

We were created for community.

We were formed for relationship — with God and with one another. To be known. To be supported. To share burdens. To celebrate joys. To laugh, pray, serve, and grow together. Community is not a luxury for the spiritually mature; it is essential for being human.

And yet, loneliness creeps in quietly. It can happen in every season of life — in young adulthood, in parenting, in retirement. It can come through loss, transition, misunderstanding, or simply busyness. Sometimes it isn’t the absence of people; it’s the absence of meaningful connection.

So what does this mean for us at Amberlea?

This is what I took from what Mike shared with us….It means church is more than a Sunday service. It is more than attending worship and heading home. It is an invitation into belonging.

Being part of Amberlea as a community might look like:

Staying for coffee and conversation.
Joining a Life group or Bible study.
Serving on a ministry team.
Reaching out to someone you don’t yet know.
Saying yes when invited.
Asking for prayer when you need it.

Community requires intention. It requires showing up — not just physically, but relationally. It requires vulnerability. And yes, sometimes it requires courage.

But here is the beautiful truth: the church is not a place for perfect people. It is a gathering of those who know they need one another. When we lean into community, we reflect the heart of God — the One who said it is not good for us to be alone.

If you’re feeling lonely, you are not weak. You are human. And you are not alone in that feeling.

Let’s be the kind of church that notices one another.
Let’s be the kind of church that creates space at the table.
Let’s be the kind of church where no one slips in and out unseen.

Because from the beginning, God declared it clearly: we were never meant to walk this life alone.