Thoughts from a Fellow: Church Engagement

Growing up, my family and I moved a lot and attended various churches, so fully immersing ourselves in one church family was a challenge. While in high school, I volunteered in the church nursery but in college I was a volunteer Young Life leader with a part-time job so I felt a little spread thin whenever I attempted to get involved in my church.

Moving here to Salt Lake City, though, and immediately being welcomed by our new friends at New Song Presbyterian Church has been such a gift that continues to bless all of us in the Salt Lake Fellows program. After getting to know the community of New Song through BBQs, members hosting us for dinner, and community group gatherings, we, the fellows, were encouraged to use the gifts God’s given us to serve the church. Greeting, working in the nursery, and helping setup & breakdown sound equipment were some of the first jobs I signed up for since I enjoy working with others as well as with my hands.

Being a part of New Song has shown me what it looks like to live in community with one another the way God calls us to in scripture. I’ve been learning how to give my time and resources towards things like working the nursery and bringing a food dish every week to community group. Though these examples may sound somewhat minor, God’s been using them to take my eyes off myself and fix them on serving Him throughout each week, and for that I’m so thankful.

God’s also shown me some of the ways that we’re called to love and care for one another in the church. While meeting with my community group every Tuesday, we each share how we can be praying for one another throughout that week. I imagine it’d be easy for members to move on with their day-to- day lives and responsibilities after we meet, forgetting about the requests, but every time we’re together, without fail, someone asks me how I’m doing in terms of what I needed praying for the week before.

Having folks, whom I’ve only known for a few months, genuinely care and pray for me has been a beautiful display of God’s intentional love and in turn encouraged me to love others more like Him.


Alex Bumgardner
Salt Lake Fellow 
Class of 2016-17