Care for One Another: Pursuing Gospel-Shaped Community

In Old Town Church, we believe that following Jesus is never a solo endeavor. The Christian life is designed to be lived together, as brothers and sisters united in Christ. One of our six shared pursuits as partners in the gospel is to care for one another—a calling that flows directly from the heart of God and the example of Christ.

When you read Acts 2:42–47, you see the early church described as a community devoted to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer. They shared their lives, their needs, and their hearts with one another. This wasn't a program they came up with—it was a Spirit-shaped way of life. Paul captures this same heart when he writes to the Thessalonians: "We were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves" (1 Thess 2:8). That's the kind of care we're pursuing together as Old Town Church.

Caring for one another means more than offering help when it's convenient. It's entering into each other's joys and sorrows. It's bearing burdens (Gal 6:2), speaking truth in love (Eph 4:15), and practicing forgiveness and patience (Col 3:12–14). It means committing to know and be known, love and be loved, within the covenant family God has formed through Christ.

And here's the thing: this pursuit isn't optional. It's essential. Jesus said that the world would know we are his disciples by our love for one another (John 13:34–35). When we care for each other deeply and sacrificially, we display the reality of the gospel to a watching world.

Practically speaking, that care takes root in our Community Groups, where we pray, listen, share, and serve. It extends through our Bible studies and book studies, where we grow together in the gospel. But it also happens in quiet, unseen moments—checking in on someone who's struggling, offering a meal, confessing sin, or rejoicing in answered prayer.

As covenant parters of Old Town Church, we're committing not only to receive this kind of care but to extend it. It's a shared pursuit—a rhythm of grace that forms us more and more into the image of Christ, who first cared for us by laying down his own life.

So this month, let's take one step closer toward one another. Let's slow down enough to see, listen, and love. Because in caring for one another, we reflect the very care of Christ himself.