Why I love my Connection Group

Last week Robin and I had take off to Pennsylvania for my Grandmothers funeral, so we had to cancel our Sunday night Connection Group.

But last night we hosted some newcomers to Connections for dinner. We ate, laughed, shared life stories, and talked about Connections.

I was humbled and amazed at the stories these people told about the impact Connections has already made in their lives. After dinner our "regulars" started showing up, and everyone started mingling.

All I can say to summarize the evening was that it felt "right"

• Right to have new folks over for dinner,
  
• Right to open our home to them and to hear about their lives,
  
• Right to have our friends come over to join us,
  
• Right to have children running around and "interrupting" our grown up conversation,
  
• Right to pray together, right to read the bible together, right to be real together.

With so many folks that we had to split into men and woman's groups. I had the honor of hearing men talk about their lives- joys, struggles and lots in between- it was awesome!

It just felt right and good. Dare I say it was a holy evening- pure, set apart, glorifying to God.

So are you involved with a group of people that help you experience some "holy moments?" Are you finding support when death or tragedy strikes your family? Are you finding friendship that brings connection and meaning to your life?

I sure hope and pray this is the case. It takes time, it takes prayer, it takes giving yourself and risking being real.

But it's always worth it! Always!

Here's highlight from a recent article I read... I agree with everything he writes.

I still love small groups because:

• They follow the early church model of meeting in homes.
• They are a tremendous tool for discipleship. I prefer small groups to Wednesday night large group teaching because it gives people a chance to interact. I prefer small groups to Sunday School simply because you don’t have to build the expensive extra classroom space.
• They get more people involved using their gifts of hospitality, teaching, exhortation, etc.
• They engage the body of Christ in pastoral care. Instead of the pastors being the only ones who care for believers, small groups spread the load and utilize gifted lay people.
• They build leaders.
• Done well, they become a tremendous tool of retention. People want to be needed and known. Small groups make both possible.
• They have unlimited meeting space. You can’t run out of homes, restaurants, apartments, or coffee shops in which to meet.
• They have unlimited meeting times. In today’s busy world, a once-a-week discipleship opportunity will not work for the majority of your church. Small groups offer unlimited times to meet.
• They have changed my life. My family’s small group is like our extended family. God has used them to bless us in untold ways.