Yes, we know it is only January; however, Travis and I are already planning for, and are excited about, this year’s Summer Series, titled “Common Discipleship: Living Out Our Faith in Daily Life.”  Like last year, in addition to this being the summer series theme, it will also be our focus throughout our newsletters in 2025.  More specifically, we will be exploring “common,” but often overlooked, aspects of Christian discipleship – how we spend our time, how we use our resources, how we eat – and how our attention to each of these areas impacts our collective lives and health as followers of Christ.  These everyday practices, though seemingly ordinary, carry profound implications for our faith and witness. 

One of the typical challenges of being a faithful disciple is the temptation to privatize our walk with God.  Discipleship is often framed as “my personal relationship with Christ;” therefore, it frequently gets carried out through individual devotion (prayer, the reading of Scripture, journaling, etc.) in solitude.  While this aspect of our faith is absolutely vital, it is incomplete without the counterbalance of living out our faith in community. 

For example, the author of Hebrews writes, “And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25, NRSVUE).  This passage clearly reminds us that discipleship is not a solitary endeavor; rather, it is a shared journey of mutual encouragement, accountability, and growth.  

Unfortunately, discipleship is not always a big community “walk in the park.”  Especially right now, with so many of our interactions and so much of our rhetoric filled with anger, violence, fear, political divisiveness, climate concerns, and so much more, it can seem like it’s harder than ever before to extend love and good deeds to our neighbors, both within and beyond our communities of faith.  How can we be expected to love our neighbors who are acting in unkind and unloving ways?  Yet, this is precisely where our discipleship is most needed.  How we treat our neighbors – those near and far – reflects the depth of our commitment to Christ’s call. 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his book Life Together, offers this insight: “The person who loves their dream of community will destroy community, but the person who loves those around them will create community.”  Our call as disciples is to love those around us – to actively foster community through tangible acts of encouragement, service, and accountability.  This creates spaces where faith is not merely professed, but practiced.

The small, common aspects of discipleship – how we spend our time, use our resources, and even the way we eat – are not only personal choices, but also opportunities to live out our faith in community.  And, these actions, though simple (but not easy), create rhythms that shape our shared lives, offering encouragement and accountability as we grow together in Christ.

As January comes to a close and we begin 2025 together, here are some questions for consideration:

1. What does it look like to balance solitude with God and connection with others in my discipleship?

2. In what ways can I encourage and support my community of faith?

3. How am I being called to love my neighbor in the midst of the world’s current challenges?

4. Are there areas in my daily life – time, resources, or habits – where God may be calling me to more intentional reflection this year, so that my actions are in better alignment with being a follower of Christ?

It may seem common, insignificant, even impossible at times, but as we move into 2025, we want to encourage you to reflect on the common practices of your faith and how they impact your community.  Trust in God’s Spirit to guide you, strengthen you, and bring us together, no matter what side of the church pews we are sitting on.

Peace,

Karen and Travis Webster

HSHC Co-Founders