Dear Church Family,
 
With schools in full swing again, many of us are returning to those familiar schedules. Wednesdays will soon be active across our campuses, new classes and studies are beginning, Community Groups are gathering and growing, and there are many opportunities to connect, learn, serve, and grow together. (Just check out our cityrise.org/fall page!)
 
All of those opportunities point to the truth that we were not created to follow Jesus alone. Throughout Scripture, God continually draws His people into community. We worship together, pray for one another, encourage one another, carry burdens, celebrate joys, serve side by side, and help one another remain faithful.
 
Hebrews 10:24–25 reminds us, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together . . . but encouraging one another.”
 
A few weeks ago, I encouraged us to cultivate a culture of invitation, to consider who God may be prompting us to invite to “come and see.” In that same vein, I also want to encourage each of us to consider where we ourselves are connected.
 
Maybe that means returning to a Community Group after a summer away. Maybe it means joining a Bible study or class for the first time, serving alongside others in a ministry. Or maybe it means simply making the decision to be more intentional about the relationships God has already placed around you.
 
Interestingly, the importance of genuine human connection has also been part of the conversation surrounding The AI Revolution this month. Technology can increasingly help us communicate, create, analyze, and accomplish work more efficiently. But greater capability does not lessen our need for wisdom about what technology should assist us with—and what we should deliberately keep human.
 
Our final night will be this coming Monday with Dr. Laura Murray, but the conversation will continue this fall with a special Lunch & Learn on October 1. Dr. Jeff Frey, who joined us for the first night of The AI Revolution, will return for AI + Human Intelligence: Working Smarter Without Becoming Less Human. He will offer practical guidance for using AI in real-world work while also helping us think carefully about what should be automated, what should be augmented, and what should remain distinctly human. You can sign up now to receive the save-the-date information.
 
Whether in our homes, workplaces, classrooms, neighborhoods, or church family, we need one another. My prayer as this fall begins soon is that we would become more deeply connected to our Lord and Savior and to the people He has placed around us.
 
 
Expecting Greater,
Pastor Roger