We’ve got something pretty neat going on with these other four churches in our neighborhood. We held joint Sunday night services during Lent, and did a neighborhood Vacation Bible School a few weeks ago (the Mennonites hosted it, but Marsha from our church was the director).

Today we had a picnic in the park a couple of streets over from Anchor. Four of the five churches participated. Grace Presbyterian headed this up. They rented a big grill and organized a variety of games. It was nice. I’m thoroughly enjoying getting acquainted with these fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

Fundamentalists fear being somehow contaminated or theologically compromised if they collaborate with other churches. I think there is some of that among us United Brethren–not fundamentalists (though we have our contingent), but conservative evangelicals. We’re leery, at least people “in the know” (as in, mostly ministers). Fortunately, this isn’t an issue at Anchor. Nor, I think, is it generally an issue with the rank-and-file UBs, who don’t “know enough” theologically to erect barriers between themselves and other Christians.

Not that Anchor would link arms with just anybody. We’re talking about just five of the churches in our zip code; there are more than that. Five like-minded local congregations. Church of Christ, United Methodist, Mennonite, Presbyterian, and United Brethren. There are other United Brethren churches in our city, but none in our neighborhood. Strategically, it makes sense to link arms with these four other churches. And so, we are.

More United Brethren churches need to do this type of thing. Larger churches don’t “need” to, from a strategical standpoint, or at least don’t think they need to. They have the resources to do things themselves, and have more of a “we can do it ourselves” mentality. In general. But for smaller churches, like Anchor, it makes a huge amount of sense.