This Sunday, we will give everyone that attends Cross Point the opportunity to join a community group. We try to make it an easy first step by actually hosting their first group meeting together at the church during a Connection Event. A lot of people are wary of making the commitment to be in a group for the first time, and that’s ok. I was too. The only people that absolutely LOVE their first experience with a group of strangers at a strange home, are the same people who talk to everyone on the elevator. They are completely oblivious to the rule that you are supposed to just stare at the numbers and keep to yourself.
Here are 5 reasons that you should take the awkward plunge into community:
1. We need people. As much as it pains some of us introverts to say it, we need other people in our lives. My wife and I have shared almost every major moment in our married lives – 2 kids, 4 houses, 3 new cities, deaths in our families, struggles in marriage, struggles with work, disappointing sports teams – with our community groups. I cannot imagine what it would be like to not. I love that we have people at our house every Thursday night to do life with.
2. We need accountability. My first year of college was rough. The kind of rough that they grow for the US Open. The major problem for me was I all of sudden had very little accountability. I didn’t feel like going class? I didn’t go. No one cared. It was awesome….right up until my first exams starting coming in. I needed accountability – quick. I found it in study groups and my future wife holding my hand through Algebra 1 (don’t judge me). We need that same kind of accountability in our spiritual life. We will not grow unless we have people around us pushing and stretching us. Iron sharpens iron.
3. We need wisdom. There is only so far that we can go on our own. To take our next spiritual step, we need someone that has gone there before us. That is why we tell potential groups leaders: you don’t need to know everything, you just need to be one step ahead. Every group will have people that are in different stages of discipleship. We need those people to help guide us to the next steps.
4. We need prayer. There are going to be times in our lives where the best thing people can do for us is pray. When I am in that season of life, I want to know that my community group has my back with God. That quick text that says, “Thanks for sharing last night, I am praying for you today.” I know that prayer works.
5. We need food. That may seem very surface, but every great list has 5 things. And I do love food. And it should be a central part of every community group. 🙂
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