Every week at the end of my bulletin column, I include the message to the Mandarin Family: “Don’t forget to Take 5.” Last week, as one of our guests was leaving, he asked me what that meant. His question reminded me that we first talked about ‘take 5’ nearly a year ago, and our family has a lot of new people who might have no idea what that means.
In drama or music, ‘take 5’ simply means to take a break from what you are doing. In our church, ‘take 5’ also means to take a break from what we normally do. Specifically, ‘take 5’ is a commitment that at the conclusion of our worship assembly, all Mandarin Family members (extroverts and introverts) will spend the first five minutes connecting with guests and people we don’t know before spending time with people we do. ‘Take 5’ helps us broaden our pool of family connections, and it helps us make sure every guest feels valued and appreciated.
As the Mandarin Family continues to grow, ‘take 5’ will become more important than ever. Our vision is, “A Place to Love and Be Loved,” and making connections is the first critical step to fostering intimacy. “So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit.” (Galatians 6:9 The Message)
I love you, and I can’t wait to see you this Sunday.
-Mike Johnson