A Greater Opportunity for the Body of Christ

Exeter Body of Christ Gathering Together in Unity

Originally published May 31, 2026, in the Sun-Gazette’s Prays Together faith column.‍ ‍By James Rawlins
God’s Vineyard, Exeter, California

In John 17, just hours before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus prayed a remarkable prayer—not only for His disciples, but for all future believers.

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one…” (John 17:20-21, NLT)

Jesus connected that unity directly to the world’s ability to recognize Him:

“…so that the world will believe you sent me.”

What if one of the greatest opportunities facing the Church today is to answer that prayer?

Here in Exeter, we already see glimpses of what that unity can look like.

The Exeter Ministerial Association (EMA) provides a wonderful example. Each week, pastors gather to pray for one another and for the ministries they lead. Through cooperative ministries such as the Food Closet, the annual Gobbler Giveaway, and Fifth Sunday worship services, churches have demonstrated that we are part of something larger than our individual congregations. These efforts have built relationships, trust, and fellowship among churches throughout our community.

But perhaps they also point toward an even greater opportunity.

What if unity was not something we experienced only during occasional events?

What if believers from different churches intentionally looked beyond their own calendars and programs and asked:

“How can we serve our community together?”

The early Church provides an inspiring example. Believers gathered for worship, prayer, teaching, and fellowship, but their faith was not confined to a building. Their witness overflowed into their communities. They shared life together, served together, and lived visibly as one Body. As a result, people noticed.

Today, our communities are filled with opportunities for the Church to shine together. Schools need mentors. Families need encouragement. Neighborhoods need hope. Young people need relationships. Many people are searching for purpose, belonging, and truth.

No single church can meet every need alone.

But together, the Body of Christ possesses extraordinary gifts, resources, experience, and people.

Across Exeter and the surrounding communities, there are encouraging signs of what this can look like.

From time to time, churches within our community invite the larger Body of Christ to join them in serving beyond the walls of their own congregation. These moments provide a glimpse of what is possible when churches view one another not as separate ministries working independently, but as partners in the same mission.

Likewise, Jireh’s Bakery, the EMA, and God’s Vineyard have partnered to host monthly Night of Worship gatherings. These evenings bring together believers from different churches in a casual coffee shop setting where relationships can grow naturally across congregational lines.

Someone passing by may be drawn in by the sound of live music or the activity taking place in a local gathering spot. Instead of encountering a formal service or feeling pressured, they find a welcoming environment where relationships come first. In spaces like these, conversations happen naturally, friendships develop, faith is strengthened, and opportunities arise to share the love of Christ in genuine and meaningful ways.

The focus is simple: create a place where people feel welcome, relationships can grow, and the Holy Spirit can do what only He can do.

God’s Vineyard also hosts monthly Night of Worship gatherings under the stars at the vineyard, continuing the vision of creating simple spaces where believers can connect across church lines and experience the larger Body of Christ. This year, God’s Vineyard and Fellowship of Christian Athletes students are partnering to host a Vacation Bible School in the park, an effort designed not only to reach children and families, but also to demonstrate what can happen when believers step outside traditional ministry settings and serve together in the community.

These examples remind us of an important truth: missions is not only something that happens somewhere else. The mission field is all around us.

Our neighborhoods, schools, parks, workplaces, and communities are filled with opportunities to demonstrate the love of Christ. The question is not whether opportunities exist, but whether we as the Body of Christ will intentionally pursue them together.

When believers serve together, people don’t see denominations, they see Jesus.

The relationships formed through prayer gatherings, Fifth Sunday services, and cooperative ministries have laid a strong foundation. Those relationships are valuable. But imagine how much deeper they could become if believers from different churches regularly served together in the community.

It is one thing to worship together occasionally. It is another to stand shoulder to shoulder in ministry, praying together, serving together, sharing victories together, and watching God work together.

When believers labor side by side for the sake of the Gospel, trust grows. Friendships deepen. Love for one another increases. Unity becomes more than something we talk about, it becomes something we experience.

Imagine churches partnering together for youth outreach, VBS, mentoring programs, neighborhood prayer walks, community service projects, and local missions efforts, not just during holidays or special events, but throughout the year.

The goal is not to replace the local church. Healthy local churches remain essential for discipleship, biblical teaching, pastoral care, and spiritual growth.

The goal is to strengthen the witness of the entire Body of Christ.

When we gather outside our walls and serve together, we demonstrate something our divided world desperately needs to see: believers united around Jesus Christ and His mission.

More importantly, when unity becomes more than an occasional event and grows into a regular priority of the Body of Christ, we position ourselves in a place where God often chooses to move powerfully among His people.

In Acts 2:42-47, believers devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, sharing meals, and prayer. They lived life together, cared for one another, worshiped together, and served together. As a result, God’s presence was evident among them, lives were transformed, and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

The growth of the early Church was not driven by marketing, buildings, or programs. It flowed from a people united around Christ, devoted to one another, and committed to living out their faith together.

Perhaps revival is not something we manufacture or schedule. Perhaps it is something God pours out when His people humble themselves, love one another deeply, and unite around His mission.

If that is true, then every step we take toward greater unity and shared mission may also be a step toward the spiritual renewal we long to see in our churches, our communities, and the next generation.

The world is not looking for a perfect Church.

It is looking for a visible one.

A Church that loves well.

A Church that serves well.

A Church that walks in unity.

Jesus prayed that we would be one.

May we continue taking steps toward living out that prayer.