Text Box: A Publication of Bixby Knolls Christian Church of Long Beach (a Disciples of Christ Church) Text Box: And yet, the work we do is big. We sent a large number of our youth to camp where they have had (or will have) life-changing experiences. I’ve lost track of just how many, but about 17 or 18 people will have spent a week at Loch Leven this summer through the ministry of Bixby Knolls Christian Church. Then there is the wonderful hospitality that was shown recently to the out-of-state youth groups who stayed at our church. Over and over, their leaders let me know how amazed they were at the care our members showed to them. Hospitality is one of the most important characteristics that distinguish Christians, and I think it is something that Bixby Knolls Christian Church may be known for in the community and among other congregations in our denomination. That’s quite a witness! Recently, I have also had the opportunity to see a group of our members come together to help people in need. What they are doing is no less than holy work. I am blessed to be among them … … and I am blessed to have been able to spend a week ministering to Junior Campers… … and I am blessed to have shared in a small way the experiences of our out-of-state visitors… … and I am blessed to be a part of this church. Keep praying, keep coming to worship, and keep inviting folks you know to share in the blessings! Pastor Danny Text Box: From the Pastor… I’ve just returned from a week of Junior Camp at Loch Leven, our regional church’s camp and conference center. I was the keynote speaker for the week, leading the kids in large group sessions, and providing resources to the counselors for their small group times. As I mentioned in worship last Sunday, I spent the last day’s keynote talking about encouragement/discouragement. I asked the 4th, 5th, and 6th graders what discouraged them, what got them down. Then I asked them if they thought their churches were discouraged, and why. Several of the children mentioned that the people in their churches were discouraged because their churches were so small. Indeed, I think that most people who attend a Disciples church feel or have felt discouraged for this very reason. That’s strange, though, because most of those same people will gladly tell you how important those same small churches are to them, and what an impact they have had on their lives. This leads me to share with you something that I suspect you probably already know: smaller churches often have a bigger impact in the lives of their members. There are many churches that are smaller than Bixby Knolls Christian Church. However, the tendency is to compare ourselves with those churches that are most noticeable: the mega-church on the hill, or the arena full of churchgoers we see on TV. Compared to them, we do seem small.

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