WORSHIP WITH US THIS SUNDAY!! – 10:30 am in-person, on our Worship page, or on YouTube. We hope to see you there!
More Than a Picnic
2026-7-4 | Pastor Kristin Devine Mueller
Think back to a time when you walked into a room where you didn't know many people. For me, it's the feeling of walking into the high school cafeteria, holding my lunch tray, frozen in place because I wasn't sure
where I should sit. In a moment like that, you may not remember every detail, but you probably do remember how people made you feel. When someone notices
you, welcomes you, and invites you to sit beside them, it changes the way you experience that new place and those new people.
On Sunday, August 23, we'll gather after worship for our annual Community Picnic. We'll share a meal, enjoy games and activities, laugh together, and spend time together with others from The Grove. It will be a fun day with family and friends, but this event also reminds us that the community we are building here at The Grove is something we are called to share.
Our Touchstone of Welcome reminds us that hospitality is more than greeting someone at the front door. It's choosing to notice people. It's introducing yourself to someone you've never met. It's inviting someone to join your table instead of sitting only with the people you already know. It's helping another person feel like they belong.
Many of us have friends, neighbors, coworkers, and classmates who will join us for the picnic because someone extended an invitation. Others may be newer to The Grove and still figuring out where they fit. Some people might experience that moment of slight worry, or panic, when they’ve filled their plate, but they turn toward the tables and aren’t sure where they should sit. Could you be the person who notices and welcomes them to sit with you?
Imagine the impact if every person who attends leaves the Community Picnic feeling seen, known, and genuinely welcomed, whether they've been at The Grove for decades or for just a few weeks. That's the kind of community I believe God is shaping us to become.
So yes, invite someone to the picnic. But once you're here, don't stop with the invitation. Save someone a seat. Introduce yourself to a new face. Include someone in a game or conversation. Small acts of hospitality often become the moments people remember long after the food is gone and the tents and bounce houses are packed away. Make it your goal to leave the picnic having met at least one new person and also having helped another person feel like they belong.
I hope you'll join us on Sunday, August 23, and help make our Community Picnic more than just a fun afternoon. Together, let's make it a place where every person experiences the gracious welcome of Christ through the people of The Grove.