Us and Them can take over when a group of people think they are distinct from the rest of the church. They end up seeing people on the outside as invaders. They like being together and doing things in a certain way and don't do so well when it comes to accepting and assimilating those outside their group.
Ever experienced that?
I can remember as a teenager finding it difficult to fit in to my youth group. I was new. The kids who ran the group were those whose parents had always been there. We were new to the church. Us and Them almost pushed me away from Jesus altogether.
I never want to push anyone away from Jesus.
I recently was talking with someone who expressed that our church was a place that was letting go of the "Us and Them" mentality. This meant that the person I was talking with had finally found a way to serve in a children's ministry at
First Assembly.
That's the kind of thing that happens when it's just "Us." Unity that invites "whosoever" to join in. That's what I want to be a part of!
