Thomas’s story reminds us that faith grows through connection. By extending a hand, building trust, and living out love beyond Sunday, he shows how authentic relationships can open hearts to the presence of God.

Extend a Hand: Building Bridges Through Love and Presence

Thomas’s journey with faith begins with a simple but revealing truth: “Even though I was a part of that church, I was never really part of that church.”
He recalls attending regularly but feeling unseen—like one among many rather than one who belonged. Over time, he noticed a pattern. Others who drifted away shared the same story: no one had extended a hand.

That realization reshaped how Thomas sees community. He believes the Church should be the place where no one is invisible, where every person has a name and a story worth knowing. Sometimes, all it takes is a genuine conversation, a meal shared, or a warm greeting to make someone feel seen. Extending a hand isn’t just an act of kindness—it’s an act of formation. It mirrors the way Jesus reached out to others, not as projects to fix but as people to love.

Thomas also draws on his professional life as a teacher of behaviorally challenged students to explain how this applies to sharing faith: “Build rapport, then explain the why.”
He breaks it down simply:

• Build Rapport. Take time to listen. Understand people’s stories, their hopes, and their struggles. Let relationship come before instruction.
• Explain the Why. As trust grows, natural opportunities arise to share your story—to explain why faith matters to you, why you live the way you do, and why Jesus is central to your life.

For Thomas, the Church becomes more accepting when people experience God’s love through others before they hear about it in words. The way we live—our patience, integrity, and compassion—becomes the first message people read about Christ.

He summarizes this with quiet conviction: “What you are and the way you act conveys a message about the character of the God you follow.”
Our lives are the first sermon someone may ever encounter.

Thomas also offers a gentle but powerful challenge: Give people a reason to come back.
He observes that when someone steps into a church, it’s often because something is missing. They’re searching for hope, belonging, or direction. If we limit “church” to a Sunday service, we risk missing the chance to truly reach them.

Church is not just a place—it’s who we are. Every conversation, every act of hospitality, every moment of grace carries the potential to make someone feel at home in the love of God.

So Thomas lives this truth: be welcoming, listen without judgment, and let kindness extend beyond Sunday. Because the greatest reason someone will return is not the sermon they heard—it’s the love they felt.