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Meera Atkinson  Every day and all around the nation people face adversity: the loss of a loved one, illness, divorce. They say that at such times you find out who your friends are. For Christians it can also be a time of discovering the true value of a congregation and its ability to inspire faith and courage.
Unpack the issues...
In March 2005, Rachel Lewarne, then 27, had just given birth to her first child when her husband Ben was diagnosed with a bone marrow Leukaemia. Members of the Northmead Anglican Church congregation in Sydney, Rachel and Ben were enveloped by the love of their congregation at the most challenging time of their lives. After the diagnosis, Ben was given 9 to 12 months to live if he didn’t have a bone marrow transplant. A match was found and so began a gruelling period of hospital stays and sickness. Unfortunately, the transplant was unsuccessful and Ben died in September 2005. “We had no doubt about God’s sovereign hand over everything. We were not angry with God. It was just a hard time,” says Rachael of the ordeal. It was during that hard time that she discovered the real meaning of Christian community. “When Ben was diagnosed it was quite devastating and I remember wondering how we’d cope with it all; but as time went on I could feel people praying for us and we did cope,” says Rachael. James Lewis, assistant minister for the congregation, says there is clear encouragement in the Bible about the hope Jesus gives. “Being a community means we walk alongside each other and carry each other’s burdens. We pray with each other and we remind each other of that hope,” he says. James refers to the congregation as a family of God’s people that can provide both emotional and practical assistance. “We had amazing people in the church who would visit us all the time,” recalls Rachael. “When Ben was in hospital a number of men in particular visited him regularly. We knew people were praying for us. We got lots of cards and letters when he was ill and also when he died. People came and did our back yard.” James says people make the mistake of missing the opportunity in tough times. “What I’ve witnessed is that grief is very real and raw, yet in that is hope and certainty of better things. God really is at work amongst people.” What Rachael learned with the help of her congregation is that, despite the painful circumstances she went through, God gave her, and can give others, the strength to get through them. “It’s only through his strength that we got through it. I could not have done it by myself,” she says. She now faces the ongoing challenge of moving forward as a single parent and the congregation are still at hand. “I have a number of people in the congregation who are a great support — offering to baby-sit, trying to fit things around me." “I read my Bible. I’m not perfect, I’m far from it. I have many struggles and I try to fill the void with many other things, but ultimately it’s when I come back to God’s word and prayer that I get through each day,” she says. “I have confidence in God and the way he is directing me. I think it just all comes back to God.”
Unpack the issues...Discussion points - What are the values of belonging to a church community?
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