The Gift of Church Community: Robert Dixon

My father was a pastor, so a good portion of my childhood was spent inside churches. Just about any time the church was open I was there. Folding pamphlets, choir practices, church meetings, I was there. Looking back, I am able to see that my father’s life, and subsequently my life, was molded around the church community. Growing up I always was a member of a church family. I don't think that I have taken any of my church family for granted, however I did not realize that being a part of a church community or family could be difficult. For most of my life it seemed effortless. Now, after having a few more years to my name, I know this is not necessarily a normal experience. My experiences of Christian community in the past were handed to me on a silver platter, but now I am learning what it is like to try and build Christian community from scratch. In reality, the transition from one church community to another is a jarring experience. First, it was going off to college and no longer being able to regularly attend my hometown church. It took me almost a year before I got involved at The Wesley, and before that I drove home most weekends to go to my hometown church. On the weekends where I couldn’t drive home, I didn’t go to church. Thankfully, the Lord led me to The Wesley and I found my new church community. 

I think everyone that arrives at The Wesley and decides they want to stick around comes to understand that it is a unique place where for a set amount of time you can live your life surrounded by fellow believers who are looking to grow in their faith. I think it gives you a chance to experience a strong definition of a church community, where folks pray together, serve together, eat together, and maybe even fish together. I remember talking to folks who were previously interns while I was a student who would tell me to cherish the time I had because it was special and unlike what I could expect to experience after leaving. I attempted to do exactly what those folks told me, and I had the opportunity to live this atypical life for a time as an intern. During the internship there were so many ways I had the opportunity to share my faith, serve others, and continue to grow in my own faith- leading or participating in community groups, inviting people to our Bible studies, mowing the yard, cleaning dishes, hangouts, prayer, the list goes on. It was amazing, and now I miss it. 

I finished my internship at The Wesley 10 months ago. Since then I married my lovely wife Bekah, moved across the country to North Carolina, and found my first job in my degree field since I graduated college. A lot has changed really quickly in my life. Things are great, and I am incredibly blessed and grateful to be where I am, but the move has not been without its challenges. One major blessing was that my wife Bekah had already been regularly attending a church here where she also leads music. This church community is a gift, and she credits their presence in her life for getting her through her first two years of Divinity school. The church community is a gift in both of our lives, however the church we attend is a 90 minute drive one way from our house. I do feel at home and welcomed, and I am grateful for the community there, but I have consistently struggled with the limitations the distance has placed on my involvement within the community. For instance, our work schedules wouldn’t allow us to attend our church’s Ash Wednesday service. We were able to attend a local service instead, which was fantastic, but not being able to worship with my church community made me sad. 

It has been a difficult transition going from a church that I live five minutes down the road from and inhabit like a second home, to a church that is an hour and a half drive one way where I spend a few brief hours once a week. My sense of church community is still real, but is strained in a way that is difficult for me to handle. 

I mention these difficulties to try and move towards some things that have been helpful for me and- if you face similar struggles- could hopefully be helpful for you. 

One answer to this feeling is prayer. Throughout my internship I was taught the importance of prayer overall, and especially intercessory prayer. I grew up praying for other people on a regular basis. I can’t even begin to count the amount of times I heard my father pray for others in person, over the phone, or just when they were on his mind. One of the most important things he taught me is if someone asks for prayers, pray for them right then and there, and I try to practice this in my life. Even with the practice of intercessory prayer modeled for me daily growing up, it wasn’t until I became a missionary intern at The Wesley and prayed daily during morning prayer that I truly felt I developed my own intercessory prayer muscles. That may sound weird, but the growth that can come from praying thoughtful, faithful, and Spirit led prayers for others, especially after reading and meditating on scripture, is extraordinary. Intercessory prayer is powerful, and the Lord answers prayers. The truth is most of the time- if not all the time- the best thing I can do in a situation or for someone is to pray for it or them. Not only do I put requests before God and give him the chance to answer, but I am also drawn closer to both God and the person I pray for. When I pray for someone, thoughts of them linger in my head throughout the day, and these thoughts give me more opportunities to pray for them. I read Philip’s April 30 Harvest post where he speaks about prayer, and I was almost brought to tears. I know the goodness that he is speaking of and to know that not only is it still happening, but that more and more people are getting to experience it, brings me joy. I know that the practices they are participating in have helped me and brought me closer to God and my church community, and I have faith it will do so for them too. 

Another practice that has been helpful for me is attempting to spend intentional time with folks from my community- spending time with members of your church community outside of Sunday service. One way to do this is by starting some form of small group or community group. After moving to NC, we started a small community group among those of us that moved up here from Louisiana, and we meet weekly. Most weeks we share a meal, discuss scripture, and share prayer requests, and occasionally we have a fun group where maybe we go get ice cream or toss a frisbee around. Even though it is not members of the church we attend every Sunday, these are still folks that make up our community here. We have been able to spend a little extra time with a few folks from our church by going to lunch together after church a few times, and church potlucks offer a time when the whole community can be together. It is not just about the food. 

Developing Christian community is not as effortless as I once thought, but also not as hard as some folks may think. From what I have experienced, it takes time, intentional action, and a whole lot of prayer. I am incredibly grateful for all of my previous church families and all the ways they taught me to be a faithful community member, and I hope that some things I have shared could be helpful for others. 

Robert Dixon (pictured here with wife and former intern Bekah Beck) is a former Wesley intern and someone dear to our hearts. He enjoys country music, playing guitar, fishing, hunting, and spending time in nature. He and Bekah currently live in Durham, NC, where he is working in engineering. Robert is a joy to everyone who gets to know him and continues to be a blessing to The Wesley community.