This past Sunday night Susan and I opened up our home to our newly formed CONNECT GROUP from Grace Church. There are 10 adults (five couples) and 12 kids that will begin gathering every Sunday night to do life together as followers of Christ. I am pumped!!!
Here are a few reasons why I'm pumped about our group:
1) I believe with all my heart that God has created us for community. The beginning of our connect group study states it well when it says; "We believe that Christians don't simply gather to exchange doctrinal affirmations. Rather, believers are called by God to get into each other's lives. We are family, for better or for worse, and we need to connect with each other." (John Ortberg)
2) Even though I carry the title "pastor", at the end of the day my wife and I are still just Tim and Susan and we need community. We like everyone else are on a spiritual journey and far from perfect. We like everyone else need other Christ followers to come alongside us to encourage and hold us accountable in our walk for Jesus. We like everyone else need to laugh, cry and do life as a family with other families striving to live their best for Jesus in a crazy world. We like everyone else want to experience relationships past the Sunday AM experience. The Bible clearly states we are brothers and sisters in Christ and like any family we need more than 1 hour on a Sunday morning to deepen the bonds we share in Christ.
3) Some of our fondest memories from our previous ministry experience is of our small group. Through one of the toughest periods of our lives, it was our small (connect) group that was there for my family and I. It was a dark time in our lives and they didn't go running. Through tears, hugs, prayers and the study of God's Word, we saw God move in powerful ways as we walked through our experience with a group of brothers and sisters in Christ.
I'm realistic enough to know that like every family we will have our moments... but all in all there is nothing like the family of God when true Biblical community is experienced. I would encourage you if you are not in a group yet to contact Pastor Steve and the Connect Group ministry and get yourself into one!
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