When you live in a stationery house your connection to a home church family is simplified by membership, small group association, specified ministry participation and a weekly or biweekly drive to worship services at a local church of your choice. However, when your house is on wheels and every week or perhaps two, you find yourself in another town or possibly another state, it is inevitable that you will soon begin to feel spiritually disconnected.
On Board Necessities
As a Christian, the single most important item you need on board your RV to ensure an ongoing relationship with the Lord is your Bible. It's guaranteed that there will be times when you'll find yourself boon-docking in a Walmart RV Park with no electric. I personally have found myself wide awake in situations where there was no electric; no electric means no Wifi, no Bose and no Direct TV, but wide awake in the wee hours of the morning reading my Bible lighted by the glow of overhead parking lot lights. Having your Bible within reach is not only convenient but necessary.
It's also a good idea to have plenty of worship CDs in the CD wallet. There is nothing that can lift your spirits faster than cranking up the volume of a favorite worship CD and singing along while getting chores done or dinner ready. Worship helps you stay connected to God and His message when you're not able to be in church. Worship songs can help you stay focused on the important things in life such as God, family and prayer. Also, worship can be motivating; when the normal daily routine becomes commonplace, we can be inspired by praise and worship.
Slip Sliding Away
While living on the road in an RV it's probable that you'll be away from church. When you're away from church it becomes easy to stay away from church and out of fellowship. There is a reason why Hebrews 10:25 cautions us to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together with other believers during these last days. It is for instruction, encouragement and to remain spiritually connected. If any of these points are neglected we will soon find ourselves slipping away from what we know is good and right. Ultimately our relationship with the Lord suffers and our testimony and influence with others for God will begin to wane.
Determination and Resourcefulness
Being determined to nurture your spiritual needs while living on the road in an RV is a necessary mind-set. With a little resourcefulness, you'll be able to continue walking the walk you've begun and find ways to get connected while on the road. A local church perhaps, in the town of the state or states you call home throughout the year. The Internet is a valuable resource. Personally, we make a priority of finding a local fellowship, then I send an email to the Pastor and ask a few pointed questions about their mission statement and beliefs. Finally, we visit the church, participate in the worship, glean from the message, enjoy the fellowship and meeting new friends on life's road. When the road brings us back again, the connection stands.
There will be times when going to church will not be an option, for example you may just be passing through an area for a few days before moving on. When you're on the move from one campground to the next the fast pace makes it impossible to find a church and settle in. Most campgrounds and RV Parks offer non-denominational church services in a common room or under a pavilion. These services are convenient and most times fulfill the need for worship, communion with God and fellowship with other Christians. This is a common scenario in most campgrounds but these services are not always available. In that case, I for one utilize the Internet as a tool in discovering alternative avenues to meet that need.
There are several excellent websites to explore:
- Bible Gateway is one that you can read and study multiple versions and translations of the Bible, search specific verses and find topical helps.
- One Place is as excellent website where you can listen to sermons and podcasts from many well-known Pastors who share current messages and archived ones as well
- The Vine is a favorite one of mine. Here you can do a daily devotional, participate in an online forum where you can connect with other Christians going through similar circumstances in life and pray for and encourage one another. Also, here on The Vine you can journal your prayers and thoughts, read through the Bible in a year as well as many other helps to encourage your walk when church is not an option.
Finally, you should know that most churches have websites that include video and/or audio presentations of their weekly worship services. If you have, as suggested above, found a church or two in places visited along the way, you can certainly stay connected via their own websites.
You may not have a home church while living on the road in an RV, but you can be equally blessed by utilizing online resources, and remember, it has been said that going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to McDonald's makes you a cheeseburger – it's achieved by nurturing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
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