Noelle Bailey
Before coming to Broadway I considered myself to have a relatively
simple faith. I generally intuit some things before rationalizing them
and that went for my faith as well. I have always been okay with the
idea that we can't always explain everything or fully understand
everything bc we are human and God can't be put in a box. I don't
necessarily think that viewpoint is wrong, but my parents raised me to
value education and being educated requires critical thought and
questioning and even doubt. Broadway has given me not only a "place"
that encourages that kind of thought, but "people" who encourage,
nurture, and challenge me to grow. I have been fortunate to be
surrounded by friends at Broadway who have God at the center of their
lives and the love of Christ in their hearts. They've encouraged me
and helped me to live not just an internal faith, but to become more
comfortable expressing my faith to others. Without Broadway and her
people I never would have gotten there on my own. I've felt confirmed
in my own beliefs but challenged to grow and contemplate my faith in
new ways. And I've been able to hear other people express beliefs
verbally which at times I've held deeply in my heart but didn't have
the words to express. It's been the people of Broadway living their
faith that has had the biggest impact on my own faith over the last
several years. So I guess the thing that has become most apparent to
me since I've been at Broadway is a pretty simple concept: that we as
a church body and as God's people are charged to be representatives of
God's love. That challenge involves being responsible for the growth,
education, and well-being of our church family, but is meant to extend
much further than that. We are lucky. We have each other, but there are so
many people outside our walls who don't have the same support.
I've learned at Broadway that we aren't expected to always be perfect,
goodness knows I'm not, and it's not our job to judge and condemn.
It's our job to support each other, to love each other, and to show
Gods love to others. The people of broadway have done that for me more
than I can put into words, and through our focus on missions I've seen
it in action outside church walls as well. Ive also gained a greater
understanding that it is our job to love our church. And showing love
in that regard equals a duty to serve where needed. We are called to
give of ourselves, but in reality I've learned that giving is
symbiotic with receiving and I've gained just as much, if not more, in
those moments. "From everyone to whom much has been given, much will
be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even
more will be demanded." Luke 12:48. I've learned I'm so lucky to be
here, at this church, surrounded by amazingly supportive people, and
because of that I know I have an even greater responsibility to this
family and to the people outside our walls who aren't so lucky.