It’s easy for Christians to practice faith on Sunday morning.
But following Jesus’ example outside the confines of a church building is a different story. How to make faith a part of everyday life and to connect with Christians of other denominations while doing it was the topic of an event at the Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center in downtown Frederick on Saturday.
The gathering was organized by a new, grassroots movement of local Christians known as Move Toward Unity, according to Chris Hiltz, one of the co-founders. The effort sprung out of what Hiltz and co-founder Gabriel Knowlton described as something of divine intervention.
Though they attend churches of similar beliefs located just a few miles apart — Hiltz goes to Cornerstone Fellowship Church in west Frederick while Knowlton belongs to El Shaddai Congregation downtown — it wasn’t until a prayer meeting at another Frederick city church that Hiltz and Knowlton crossed paths.
Both active followers and advocates for Christian faith, each had noticed the bubble that seemed to surround individual churches, even those with largely similar beliefs.
“There’s no corporate effort to have everybody come together, to create that dialogue and connection,” Hiltz explained.
Thus, Move Toward Unity was born. The group organized its first formal gathering in November, making Saturday its second event. Feedback from local church groups on the event was not “amazingly awesome,” Hiltz acknowledged — about 15 people attended the Saturday event — but he hoped that with time and awareness, participation would grow.
“It’s not about the event or the turnout, either,” he said. “It’s about the lifestyle.”
Knowlton agreed.
“We see the fundamental heart of what we believe as a connection point, and want to use that to give practical application for what it looks like to live a lifestyle of faith,” he said.
Asked how the group was different than other local interfaith groups such as Frederick Interfaith, Hiltz answered that his efforts were to promote connection specifically among Christian denominations. He also said that he would be happy to join forces with Frederick Interfaith if they shared similar goals.
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