When I answered the call to be a pastor, I imagined that I would spend a lot of time reaching people who had not yet experienced the love of God and maybe didn’t know much about Jesus. Well, surprise. Pastors spend a great deal of time in church, where most people know a thing or two about God’s love for us, God’s plans for us, and God’s presence in our lives.

Which is great!

But I have been surprised over the years how little of my time is spent with people new to the faith or those outside the Christian tradition. As a pastor, I have to be intentional to find ways to connect with the people beyond the doors of our church. 

Jesus was always with people. So I feel like I need to be where people are. 

Much of the time, such intentional connections come not through church initiatives, but through the normal means available to me (and available to you). For instance, I’ve gotten involved in different community-based interest groups. For a time, I was active in the martial arts community but for the last ten years, it’s been a group of runners. In these groups, I inevitably meet people with their own spirituality and their own religious traditions. I love striking up conversations about life and seeing where that takes us. Often it takes us to a place of relationship where I can comfortably share my beliefs as I learn about them and theirs.

A few months ago, though, again doing normal life things (watching sports on TV), I saw a big budget advertisement that aimed to connect people with God. This ad was about Jesus. It presented Christ in ways that seemed human and relatable, which is important for those who haven’t grown up with a family Bible or who have had impediments to faith put in their way. The ad concluded with a web link: HeGetsUs.com.

So I clicked.

It turns out “He Gets Us” is a national campaign which seeks to change the way people outside of churches think about Jesus and his relevance in life. We know the Jesus in these ads. He is not judgmental, but compassionate. He is not distant, but close to us in our real life problems. When seekers see these ads on TV, billboards, or the internet, they are encouraged to call or text to learn more. And they’ll learn more from churches that volunteer to be a part of the He Gets Us project.

Wow! If there’s a way to talk to outsiders about what happens in a Christ-filled life, I want to be a part of that project! In fact, that’s the extraordinary purpose of Galilee, isn’t it? To share the grace of God? So, in consultation with church staff and our lay leadership, Galilee signed up to be a partner church. This has led to a number of conversations between your clergy and people who have never set foot in Galilee. I have been in conversation with over a dozen people who are not connected to our church or any of our ministries, but reached out to us through He Gets Us.

One young man, I’ll call him Paul, was not seeking a sermon on any grand issue of life. I think Paul simply felt alone. Even though he is in a university setting nearby, he described himself as feeling completely isolated. I was glad that he opened up to me and we texted back and forth for about two weeks. I was able to demonstrate that Paul is not alone as I shared my empathy for him, spoke of God‘s love for him, and simply walked alongside Paul while he was going through some things.

Not every connection becomes a new best friend or even a new Christian. But each connection is an opportunity to grow, to learn, and let someone know that they are not alone in a world that can seem cold and chaotic. 

Jesus gets that! One of the most human characteristics we see in Christ is the connections he makes with the outcast and poor in spirit. He speaks to each of us.

He says you’re not alone.

He says, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”