But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.
-James 1:22 

One of the distinctive aspects of our church community is the way we take seriously the call to not just hear the good news of God's new reign, but also to live in a way that reflects God's hope (and our hope) for the world. We seek to reflect our faith and values in many varied but tangible ways. Sometimes it's through shared actions like outreach and service projects that benefit our local community. Often, though, we find ways to be "doers of the word" by making small changes in our daily lives that remind ourselves and our neighbors that the path of Jesus is truly another way of living.  

An example of this is the number of people in our community who have made commitments to drive our cars less and bicycle more. Several members of our church commute to work by bicycle on a regular basis, and many ride their bikes to worship on Sunday mornings, even with children in tow! This past Sunday Mark Stosberg, one of our members who is a local bike blogger and advocate, shared these thoughts:

The Richmond, Indiana Church of the Brethren has more people biking to church than any church in the area that I'm aware of. For that matter, I can't think of any place else in town where I show up for a regular event and find 10 bikes parked at once. Today I arrived late and locked my bike to pole elsewhere since this rack was full. ...

I counted about 40 people in the service, so 10 bikes here represent about a 25% bicycle mode share.

Pretty amazing! Also, during a recent charity ride across Wayne county (the 2010 Reid Ride) I counted no fewer than 7 folks from our church participating. Once or twice a year when we promote a special "Bike to Worship" Sunday we often have nearly half of the congregation arriving by bike or another form of alternative transportation. Members of our church can frequently be seen showing up to other events around town on their bikes and Pastor Matt sometimes even rides his bike to make visitations!

While riding a bike instead of driving may seem intimidating or just too counter-cultural at first, when we support one another as a community such faith-inspired actions become easier and more natural. In the end it's just one small way that we're living out our values and being doers of the word here in the Richmond Church of the Brethren.

Does this sound like the kind of spiritual community you're longing for? Come and see for yourself! All are welcome to join us as we journey together in faith. 

(Photos by Mark Stosberg)