Grateful for Others
Community with other believers can start in all kinds of places. For some it may happen over coffee or at a Community Group or in passing on Sundays.
The starting point for a group of guys and I took place after a growth group launch at Flood. Initially, there were names and phone numbers on a piece of paper of guys that I didn’t know. After a few weeks of meeting together, we began to learn more about each other as we studied the Bible together. Over time, some people brought spiritual questions that they were wrestling with to discuss as a group.
There’s risk in reaching out to people that are unfamiliar to you. For some guys that joined the group, this was the first time in a small group. For others, it was another chance to be part of a good small group. To some extent, the most opportunity for growth takes place when the most is risked.
At different points our group has become comfortable in how we relate to each other. We become more familiar with each other’s understanding and view of God. This allows us the opportunity to either stop meeting or continue to move deeper by sharing more of our lives.
After a year and a half as a group, we have watched God work in each other’s lives. Looking back it is exciting to see how God orchestrated strangers with different backgrounds to become closer brothers in Christ.
This journey that our group has been on is similar to the reference that Paul makes in several of his letters. As a result of his missionary journeys to minister to churches, his relationship with the people grew. Several of his greetings in the New Testament letters (epistles) share:
“I thank my God every time I remember you.”
- Philippians 1:3
Paul could have easily avoided the travel to meet new people and work towards their spiritual growth. Thankfully, he didn’t. His work among the churches allows us to include several of the letters in our Bible.
I, like Paul, am beginning to understand more of what community is about through my growth group. There are people I am truly thankful for because they took the risk to share their life with me and allow me to share my journey with them.
Mark’s journey also includes basketball and road biking in addition to a growth group. As a growth group they enjoyed discussing the Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson.