FAMILY ROOTS

Hi, I'm Tom, I've written here before. I wanted to come back and write why the Garden church is important to me.

My family don't live in Norfolk, so I had to go and look for people to be my local "God family." I was personally looking for a deeper and closer fellowship, I still enjoy going to a church building, don't get me wrong, there is a need and a desire for that style of ministry, but my personal journey was looking for a closer and smaller fellowship. I started going to a Garden in 2019, my first time was the last time the group met before multiplying, so it was a bit of hey, and bye at the same time, but it was great. We ate, laughed, cried and most importantly worshipped together. I loved that we were so raw and open, we trusted each other, we saw miracles and The Holy Spirit working very clearly.

Then the pandemic came. We moved online and we struggled, we were so connected in person, we all felt it if one suffered, celebrated if one was happy, now we were alone on a computer screen. I struggled, I had a mental breakdown which resulted in me receiving support, I'm not ashamed to say it. I thank God for that time now because He made me realise what is actually important and what isn't, what I can and can't control (not that I was ever in control, He is.) We were allowed to meet again, but just like the Lord made me realise things, my lovely leaders wanted to start a different type of group for a different purpose, and I see them now and smile because they are ministering to a new group of people, I pray they thrive.

2021 came and we merged into another group; honestly it was difficult for me, I'm sensitive and the disruption hurt, but we were all healing from one of the most surreal and painful periods of our lives, it's not about me. We started meeting weekly again, new people came regularly, different ages too which I love, and my brothers and sisters in the Garden did too. Some people left, we went from 24 to 12 quickly, but I see that as a blessing as it not only allowed those that left to find fellowship in a way that they now needed, but it strengthened those of us who were let as we got closer, raw and open again.

A few of us have been through similar experiences before coming to Christ, so we can help one another with an understanding of what the other feels; I had to have emergency surgery, and unfortunately I developed a dependency to the drugs I received, my Garden helped me through it and now i'm ok, I don't think I would have been if I didn't have these people God put in my life.

I'm a natural introvert believe it or not and the Garden, not being a 90 minute service per week, but a minimum of 3 hours a week (sometimes we meet 2 or 3 times, at times 12hrs at a time!) helps me open up in an environment were the people have my best interests in their hearts, and they allow me to grow my Godly gifts.

I can only speak about my views and journey with Garden, but I know for sure, that church is the people, and the beginning of the church in Acts, the followers would meet very regularly and do life together, that's what Gardens do, we do life together. We nurture mutual roots and grow together.

I pray for you all, that you would feel the love of our Heavenly Father today and always, and grow in a fellowship that He has put you in. In Jesus' name, Amen.