During a Confirmation retreat we traced the outline of one of the youth and began to fill in names of people in the congregation on various parts of the body of Christ. Names of people who were actively involved in service were written by the hands and feet. Those who exhibit great love, acceptance and kindness were added near the heart.  Singers near the mouth, those with vision near the eyes.  It was interesting to hear about the people that the youth identified as the core of the community and why they placed them there. 

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Human beings core muscles are the ones that are necessary to support the whole structure.  If the core is weak, so too are the spine and the appendages.  The core is the glue that holds things together.  Sometimes we call the core our gut.  When we have gut responses to a particular situation it comes from those values that lie deepest in our core.

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The core of the congregation are the people who are always there. They are the people who show up for worship regularly, attend adult classes, work on suppers, sing in the choir, help put out the newsletter, and are around and committed.  They are the people you depend upon, the people who keep the congregation together and strong.