It was just about 25 years ago that I became a member at Cranston Christian Fellowship. 25 years is more than half my life time. I came to CCF as a young adult at the invitation of a friend. I was already a Christian, but in many ways, still learning the basics of my faith. I grew a lot in my early years at CCF. Eventually I had my wedding there, and am now raising my two children in this church. There were a few main things that drew me initially to CCF.
- Commitment to God and His word.
- Value on community and personal growth.
- Focus on outreach & missions
For six of those 25 years I lived in other places. (I was in full time ministry and lived in Buffalo and in the Boston area, but as a missionary, was still a member of CCF). Searching for churches each time we moved was difficult and discouraging. It was very hard to find a church that we even wanted to visit, and harder still to want to return. I missed CCF very much during those years. When we lived in the Boston area we had the option of returning back to RI and serving in ministry there. The ability to return to CCF was a significant motivator.
Is CCF perfect? No, of course not. CCF has lots of flaws. It has lots of flaws because it a church of flawed people, just like all churches.
What I enjoy about CCF are the same reasons I was drawn to it 25 years ago. A passion for God, a love for Christ, and heart for people. Our mission – Love God, Follow Jesus, Serve Others expresses it well. I’m very thankful that God drew me to CCF 25 years ago, I have been blessed in so many ways through the people and I look forward to what the next 25 years will bring.
Is CCF your home church? It is a great place to be! However, there are other wonderful churches as well. I encourage you to find a place of worship that you can call home.
God encourages us in Hebrews 10:25a:
“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another”
