It's an interesting question, but not a real one. Clearly, bald people are allowed at Fellowship Church. In fact, and my whole point here, is that EVERYONE is allowed here at FC. We are often asked these questions. "Can I wear shorts?" "Do you allow divorced people here?" or "My life's a mess, am I welcome there?" To all those questions, we answer YES. The reason we answer yes is because the One we follow Jesus Christ, would have said yes. Jesus welcomed everyone. Bald or hairy, shorts or pants, divorced or married, tax collectors, prostitutes, etc. You did't have to "clean up your act" to be introduced to Him but upon knowing Him, you'd want to! He changes lives. I've seen it all around me. 

As Christians, true followers of Jesus, let's not get in the way. No legalism, no judgement, just plain LOVE. Love people enough for them to know the love Jesus provides. He will change everything!

Easter is coming! What a great opportunity to invite all of the above, even the bald people!

We are living in such a dark world. We can all use some light.

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." John 1:5

My wife and I were very close to moving away from Middletown years ago. We heard enough things about the school system and the possibility of problems within it to really make an effort to live elsewhere. From what we gathered, some of the kids inside these schools were a little "rough" and we were concerned for the safety of our very young children at the time. But then it hit us. How are we solving the problem? We can go to any school in our country and deal with issues of some kind! No school is immune to problems. As Christians, we also thought how is this representing Who we follow? Would Jesus flee? Would Jesus avoid the possibility of a problem or would he try to be a part of fixing the problem? 

This happens everywhere. People leave when things no longer are to their liking. From the school systems, jobs, to even church world. I get it. I really do. But I wonder if some of us are leaving early. I wonder if God wanted us to stick it out a bit more. "Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?" Esther 4:14 Maybe instead of allowing the atmosphere to darken we become the light it needed at just the right time. 

"Learn to light a candle in the darkest moments of someone's life. Be the light that helps others see; it is what gives life it's deepest significance." Roy T.Bennett

This has been a crazy season for a lot of people. So many have lost loved ones. Broken hearts. Many questions of "why?" 

Some of the lost loved ones happened to be only in their 40's....much too young to die. It had my children wondering if our time (my wife and I) was near. I had to assure them that this (dying in your 40's ) is not normal. 

One of my best friends lost his wife at the age of 43 last week. In my many conversations with those who knew her I would often hear, "Oh, I was meaning to reach out to her." It's understandable because we all do it. Our intentions are usually pretty good. We just always seem to feel as though there will be plenty of time to reach out. Clearly, this is not always the case. 

After every funeral we tend to leave with this intentionality to be a better friend or a better family member. We see the clarity of the brevity of life so we know that we have to be different. But then, a few weeks go by and life goes on. We fall back into our busy lives and our same normal patterns. Then another death comes with a new intentionality to be better. Repeat. Repeat. What's the definition of insanity again?

I want to be different. I know most of you do as well. I want to go beyond the call. I want to be the person who shows up. The one who gets it. The one who loves like Christ taught us to love. Like this.

Nobody knows what tomorrow brings but you are ridiculously in control of today. You have the power to reach out to loved ones. You have the power to love differently. It can start right after reading this. Reach out to someone today!

I know many people that cannot go to church on Sunday mornings. I also know a lot of people that don't want to go to church at all! This blog is really for those who cannot. For those who don't want, I hope that some day you will try it out. One hour, one day a week. Live music, a message that you can relate to, and great people to spend the time with. Oh, and COFFEE! Free coffee and snacks. 

 It had come to our attention at Fellowship Church that:

• 25% of people are shift workers, Many work on weekends (healthcare, hospitality and first responders, etc.)
• Sundays are the only day many people can "sleep in". 
• Sunday mornings have become more common for children sports and activities to be scheduled on.           

Everything seems to be taking us away from what was once the norm - church on Sundays. We knew that we had to do something about this.

Our biggest wish is to introduce this community to the hope of Jesus Christ. We know that if we can give people a new option, we can get some people who could really use this hope an opportunity. So we added a 3rd service at 5PM on Sundays back in October.  We've noticed a lot of newer people and it actually felt like a new church! 

As a church, in order to reach people we've never reached, we need to do things we've never done. We are so excited about this 5PM service. This is a GREAT opportunity to invite those that haven't been able to go because those AM commitments. In fact,it's also a great opportunity to invite those who don't want to go to church! Let them know it's different here! 

See you at 5PM!

Even as I write this, I am hesitant of the lens in which some will see it. I'll start by stating that the views expressed in this blog are solely mine, not necessarily Fellowship Church, although in my conversations with our staff and teams, there probably not far off.

None of us went to any classes or took courses regarding social media postings or texts. You do not have to have any degree or even be of a certain maturity in order to post anything (although many of us wish there were some guidelines!). We are all pretty free to post anything we'd like and some of us really take advantage! It's not like working at a newspaper and having to go through an editing team. You type it and BOOM, it's there for all to see and for all to have their opinion on. 

It's very interesting working at a church with many of our attenders here being on some social media. It's not uncommon for two of them to disagree where all can see. That's uncomfortable to me. I get it but I'm not very comfortable with it. 

What I've learned along the way is that what you say or post on your personal social media pages can reflect on your church unintentionally. "Oh, he or she thinks this and they go to FC. I'm not going there!" Can you imagine finding out that someone has left the church because of an opinion you had? 

I have a dear friend of mine who recently posted something that "got a little out of hand". There was a bunch of back and worth (wasted time), hurt feelings and it all stemmed from a misunderstood post. No one really knows where your heart is when putting something out there. There are assumptions and filters to which we see everything (fairly and unfairly). When I saw my friends post I knew I wanted to have a face to face with them. Not only is this person a friend but they are a leader as well. I met with them in person and talked it out. They saw my face. They knew my heart. There was no misunderstanding. We both left better. Face to face always lessens the possibility of a misunderstanding. 

For those of us that would consider ourselves Christians, our presence on social media really is an extension of our personal ministry. It can help or hinder our "influence". Influence here is not to build our ego, I actually mean kingdom building, telling others about Jesus Christ with our actions and yes, even our typed words. How often do you scroll past posts from those certain "Facebook friends" that you no longer wish to be influenced by or have your mood changed by? (You know you have them!) 

For me, I would never want my posts to affect the "influence" of the One I follow, Jesus Christ, my church or even my family. So I try to be careful. I try to see my post from other's eyes. My posts are honestly a highlight reel. Great wife, great family, always fun. I try not to take pictures or write posts of any arguments I got into, mistakes I've made or bad parenting days (plenty of them!). No, just the good stuff. I thought this is why there is a Facebook?!? "Best of" Rich Pancoast.

I would say when a desire to post arises, pray and keep it positive because your content is there forever. And if someone else's post offends you, DO NOT COMMENT underneath! It only lengthens the posts timeframe on your newsfeed. 

Keeping all age groups at any church engaged is never easy. Please take some time to read this from our special guest blogger, Megan Reddix.

                  For about 6 years I attended church with my husband, Zach’s family at Temple Baptist (now The Church at Newtown Road). We loved our church and participating in worship teams, youth groups, missions, and connecting with the congregation. Our church family continually supported Zach and I; visiting me during my two-week stay in the hospital and cheering Zach on during his baseball games. We celebrated our birthdays, graduations, and engagement with our church family.

                  Before Zach and I got married we were given the opportunity to move to Connecticut, so two weeks after becoming Mr. and Mrs., we made the move. We were excited to be living on our own, but almost weekly, we drove back to New York to visit our family and attend church. It wasn’t until Zach’s parents announced that they were moving back to Texas that we started thinking about attending church in Connecticut.

                  Finding a church was not as easy as I had anticipated. We wanted to find a church that not only served our spiritual needs, but our social needs as well. Like Pastor Andy mentioned during the first message in the “Doors” series, we needed to surround ourselves with people that have a similar, positive outreach in life. As twenty-something-year-olds, finding other couples with similar interests and a shared faith can be quite a challenge! After several months, we found ourselves at Fellowship. So how did we get to Fellowship? Luckily for you, I put together some guidelines!

1.     Research, research, research!

Before we walked into any church, we did some research. We narrowed our search by distance and denomination; eventually expanding from a 10 to 30-minute drive and from Baptist to Non-Denomination. On each website, we read the missions and biographies of the church staff, we searched for opportunities to serve, and we scanned through photo galleries and podcasts of the latest messages. Of course, the mission of each church was our priority. How is the church led, how do they serve their community, and most importantly, what do they believe in?

2.     make lots of visits

Don’t be afraid to stop into a bunch of churches! Sometimes you just know, this is not the church for us. Zach and I visited a handful of churches that just didn’t feel right. That’s not to say those were bad churches. They just weren’t for us. We also found a church that we visited for a couple of months before moving on. Visiting churches was a VITAL part in figuring out what did and didn’t work for us.

3.     There is no Need to Rush

Take your time! Even when we started visiting Fellowship, we waited a few months before becoming members. Although we felt right at home the first time we visited, we wanted to make sure this really was the place for us. We brought family and friends to visit and we took our time getting to know the congregation.

4.     Attend ‘Starting Point’ style meetings

Meetings, like Fellowship’s ‘Starting Point,’ allow visitors to really understand how the church is led. Zach and I attended similar meetings at two churches that were one-on-one with the pastors. During these meetings, we learned what was important to the church, to the pastor as an individual, and what was expected of us if we chose to become members. To be honest, this is one of the reasons we decided to move our search away from those churches. The one-on-ones felt very intrusive, especially for a young-adult looking to strengthen his/her personal faith. Many churches offer group info sessions that anyone is welcome to. Group meetings put no pressure on becoming members, really giving you the opportunity find your own place.

So, what was it about Fellowship that sealed the deal for us? Again, I’m glad you asked!

                  No Pressure Atmosphere

                  Zach and I never felt bombarded or overwhelmed as visitors. People were there to greet us and to help us get to know Fellowship, but we never felt singled out.

                  Age Range

                  We wanted to be a part of a congregation that had couples around the same age as us, but it also became important to find a congregation that had a wide range of ages, from new babies to great-grandparents. This shows the vitality of the church and shows the versatility of the messages (that they can apply to all stages of life). Lastly, we found that pastors with younger children resonated better with us. The language of younger (but experienced in life) pastors and the style of their messages is far more relatable. Pastor Andy’s messages are clear, packed with supported material that we can apply to our daily lives, organized, and are often very funny!

                  No Judgement Zone

                  Zach and I are young. We were engaged in our later teens and married in our early twenties. We’ve faced a lot of judgement during our 8-year relationship, so it’s been nice to be seen as a Christian couple experiencing life together rather than how young we are. From our personal interests to our journey and growth in our faith, we have felt completely comfortable and accepted in our new church family!

Well there you have it! Of course finding a church is about strengthening our walk with Christ, but finding Fellowship was a blessing beyond words. We are so thankful to be a part of this family!

As someone who worked in the fitness industry for more than 20 years, I'm not a big fan of the New Year's resolution. The gyms become twice as busy and the regulars become twice as angry about all the machines being taken.

Resolutions are really good intentions. I find the best way these work is knowing they will. Too many of us state how we're going to "try" as opposed to this is the year I "will". I've heard it said that the best way to follow through on a resolution is to be specific. For example, "I'm going to lose 15 lbs by May 1st in comparison to "I'm going to lose weight this year and get in better shape.". Specificity helps you gauge where you're at and can also motivate you. 

Secondly, I feel resolutions work best with accountability. I feel we need others around us to "coach" us, not "critique". People who are FOR US. People who will check in to see how we're doing. 

Lastly, I believe the best resolutions are the ones that change us forever, not just for a year or several months. Creating a habit. Based on my faith, I've often made commitments to read the Bible more which, in turn, helps me become a better person. I am challenging you this year to join me. This Bible has changed my life. I am a different person than I was years ago. I am asking any of you to join me in a quest to strengthen our faith and to read through the Bible in a year. I've done this the last 2 years and I cannot tell you just how much it has helped me. 

Here's your warning: Life WILL get in the way. You will be distracted. You will fall behind. But here's my promise: God will change you. You WILL be different and you will not regret it. 

I am asking you to email me (Rich@fellowshipchurchct.com)  if you are interested in taking on this challenge - and let me know you're in. I will, in turn, check on you and at times, email you some thoughts. The plan is called "Bible in One Year 2017" Here's the link to get started. We'll start "officially" on New Year's Day. 

Looking forward to what God has store for all of us in 2017! 

When I changed careers almost 4 years ago going from the fitness industry to working at a church, I got to somewhat share my journey on Social Media and through speaking at my church. I have been extremely blessed to get to know many people in my 20+ years of working in the health clubs. In developing these relationships, I was given incredible grace from so many who, instead of thinking he's lost his mind and has joined a cult, asked questions about the career change and genuinely cared to listen.

The incredible advantage I have in these relationships built with many of you (my Social Media friends) is that many of you know my heart and my sincerity. So I write this in hopes that:

1. You're still reading
2. You read with an open mind 

Some of you think the church is completely screwed up. Some of you were so hurt by people in the church that you'll never return. Some of you, quite frankly, feel as though you're doing great without it. My invitation is that this Christmas, you take a chance, and attend a service. This is not about me or my church, Fellowship (although I'd love to see you here!). This is about finding a church that, when you leave, you've learned something and you are different. A church where, although we're all messed up, there is an intentionality to be better. A church where EVERYONE IS WELCOME, not just those who think they have it all together. A church where you can learn about why Christmas is such a big deal. 

That's my ask. That's my invite. No, I will not "Create an Event" on Facebook and ask for an RSVP. I will leave it here in hopes that you will take me up on this invite. I truly hope all of you have the best Christmas ever. I pray for peace and hope this upcoming year and that 2017 will be full of blessings.