Some Encouragement from One Introvert to Another: An Introvert’s Guide to Grace Rancho

Introvert – A reserved or shy person. A person who prefers calm environments, limits social engagement, or embraces a greater than average preference for solitude.

Walking into Grace was quite the eye-opener for me. Never had I been welcomed so quickly and easily into a community of people that I had never met. The kindness and hospitality was overwhelming. Especially for one who struggles to walk into any place where people might actually notice her. I will admit that I struggled a bit early on. People said, “hello” and intently sought me out to welcome me. Not only was it done with intention, but it was done out of a loving heart, it was done be cause the people in this church love the Lord with their whole heart and desire to love as Christ loves His church. Grace is so much more than just a church. It’s a community, a family, a familiar face, a place to love and receive love from those that are like-minded, caring, loving, and extraordinary people. It’s a place where believers seek to be the “hands and feet” of Jesus. For some, this sounds absolutely amazing, while it may make others want to run for the hills…or maybe just to those gorgeous mountains that sit majestically to the north of us. Either way, Grace isn’t somewhere you can come to hide but does that mean it is the wrong place for you? Maybe instead, it’s a place where you can come to grow in your love and knowledge for the Lord Jesus Christ! Maybe, instead, it’s a place where you can be invited into the lives of fellow brothers and sisters who truly want to know and love you, who want to encourage you in your walk with the Lord, and who want to help keep you accountable so that you can also help them in return. Do these things scare you? Because they definitely had me feeling a bit out of sorts when I first attended.

I think it’s safe to say that I am by nature an ‘introvert’. I’d also admit that there are a few other things I struggle with that sometimes make it a bit difficult for me to easily approach others. But for the introvert who struggles like I do, I’d like to help you see that it isn’t impossible to attend such a friendly church. For those of you who don’t understand the introvert, I’d like to let you in a little and help you to understand some of the things that I’ve dealt with and how you have all helped to encourage me in the Lord. And with that, I’d also like to encourage you to go ahead and ask the questions, preferably one on one. It’s definitely easier for me to process my thoughts without a hundred eyes on me.

So, as introverts, we can say it’s too hard. We can just tell ourselves that this isn’t for everyone, and maybe that is true. It may not be the right fit for everyone. But as Christians, maybe we should reassess our hearts and ask ourselves why we are here. What does Grace have to offer me? Do I have anything to offer in return? What is church membership? What is a church really? Perhaps most importantly, what does God want for me?

As an “introvert” how did the idea of church membership scare you?

For me, the thought of church membership was pretty intimidating. I am, however, very grateful for the Membership Class. I remember thinking that membership was a bit strange as we did not come from a church that offered membership. When we first started attending, we knew that we loved this church but there were just a few things that we were unsure of. This was one of them. So I was determined to learn all that I could before I could allow myself to fully commit to attending. Frank and I agreed to attend the class so that we could have a better understanding of what membership would actually look like. We had no intention to become members at that time.

As we sat in class week after week, we would go home and discuss what we had learned. I never found that I could disagree with any of the affirmations or the church’s beliefs. As I continued to process what I was learning, the idea of having accountability, people who wanted to know what I was up to, what I thought about certain things, if and what I was reading, and the responsibility to love and care for fellow church members was a lot to take in. Don’t get me wrong, I agreed with the Grace Rancho Affirmations, I love to help others whenever I am able, I am happy to pray for others, and I truly do care for my church family with my whole heart. BUT membership?

How did you process/face those fears?

It wasn’t long before we knew we wanted Grace to be our home church. It was almost immediate for both Frank and I. After we sat through the class, prayed about it together, and asked all the questions that we could think of, it appeared that membership wasn’t negotiable for us. Once we understood what that actually looked like, we knew that was the next step. As I realized I really wanted to be able to serve in a deeper capacity, I found that I wanted more accountability, I wanted real relationships with those that are like-minded sisters and brothers. For me, this meant that I had to face my fears and allow myself to be vulnerable. It meant lots of prayer and plenty of tears...plenty. BUT God! I knew that He had placed us in this church. How could I be disobedient when this was something I knew that I had been seeking for so long?

How did the church help you in these areas?

Thankfully, as I mentioned earlier, several church members sought me out and helped me to feel welcomed. I had the opportunity to see something different. I realized that I had found something that I never even knew that I was missing! This was church! This was the true love of Christ in action! I was shown what true discipleship looked like. I was shown what true belonging was. I found that as I shared with more and more people, they didn’t judge but only loved and wanted to be available to help me. I learned that we are all at different places in our walk but that all of us can and will be used in some way, shape, or form.

What advice would you give to someone who is a little nervous about opening up his/her life to others in the church?

My advice to those who may be a little nervous about opening up your life to others in the church would be to first, pray about it. Is this something that the Lord has for you? Do you want to deny His goodness for your life? God blesses us even in our struggles. Remain faithful, dear friends! It’s not usually so hard for us to share the great things going on in our lives. It’s easy to celebrate with others. That’s not what I’m talking about. It’s the hard things that we are going through, it’s our insecurities, our self-doubt, the ugly parts of our life that we don’t want anyone to know. It’s our pride and our sin. But who better to share with than those who have walked similar paths? And how do we know who that may be if we never get to know those around us and never let others into our lives?

So be encouraged, friends! God is greater! He has been so good and so faithful throughout my life. Yes, I would consider myself an introvert. Yes, I struggle with so many other things. And yes, I understand how hard and sometimes draining it can be just to come to Grace Rancho and put yourself out there for others to know. But be encouraged because God, the Author and Creator of your life, knows better, loves greater, is kinder, and blesses us abundantly when we put our trust and faith in Him who knows all things. In our struggles, He draws nearer and brings us joy and comfort, even in our pain. Does this mean that it’s easy? Of course not! But believers were never promised an easy life, right? As Paul says in Philippians 1:6, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” So then I encourage you to let Him work.