Issue 80 - From the Editor
Dear Readers,
Have you ever asked someone to share how they felt God was leading them? What about an entire community?
My wife once shared about how a Christian group she knew of would discern God’s voice. Whenever they had a major decision to make, they would ask everyone to go pray, wait on God, and write down what they heard and then come back and share. The idea was that if the Holy Spirit was speaking to them, then they should hear the same or similar things. In John 10:27, we read that God’s people, “His sheep”, hear His voice. For some, this is a scary thing to do: what if we hear differently? What if we hear wrong? But on the other side, what if we fail to stop to let God speak to us and lead us?
For this edition, we asked members of the Bergen Christian Testimony Church (BCTC) community’s English congregation to write about what God had put on their hearts. As they sought God and wrote down their article ideas, we saw a common thread form. Despite the fact that we all see the world from different angles and perspectives, a common message arose: one of community, of caring for one another, of what it means to be the Church. And from their voices, we can see powerful and important themes for the Church to wrestle with as we move from one generation to younger generations.
In this edition, Lilia writes an important piece asking why community is so difficult. Tiffany follows with n thought-provoking piece exploring generational anxiety. What does it look like when we allow fear to rule how we raise our children? What are the effects of this, and what can we do about it? Finally, Maria reflects upon her experiences in different Christian settings, both the highs and lows, and how they have shaped her expectations and hopes for what it means to be part of the big “C” Church.
In all these things, I ask you to carefully and prayerfully consider the ideas they present. Their articles point to love and what it looks like to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Jesus.
May the Holy Spirit take up their sharing, place it in our hearts, and help us move forward in ways that help reveal more and more of Christ and His love in our communities.
In Christ,
Jonathan Ho
P.S. Are you interested in working with us to discern how God is speaking to your community? Reach out to us at hello@projectarctos.com. We’d love to connect and see how God is moving in your community. You can also find these articles online, at projectarctos.com, or listen to many of our articles on YouTube.
Issue 80
Community feels elusive in an age of constant movement and digital connection. Younger generations move more frequently, work remotely, and often rely on screens—yet meaningful friendship still demands time and presence. Recognizing these patterns is the first step; choosing to stay, engage, and invest relationally is the next…