Our theme this year is DIY - Devote • Invest • Yield. If you're not sure what DIY is all about I encourage you to read this message from Sean.
What does DIY have to do with small groups? EVERYTHING!
It is too easy to simply sit on the sidelines at Church and COTHA is no different. Unfortunately, until a person decides to Devote and Invest, you will Yield very little. By this I mean the fruits of any effort are what you Yield. Being in a small group takes effort but the yield is worth it. This isn’t just another church program and small groups are not something to simply do in order to cross it off your list. You actually do life with members of your small group. As you devote yourself to weekly or bi-weekly meetings with one another, a small investment is made. This investment helps you grow in your faith, helps you with challenges of life and faith and before you know, deep friendships are made. Like anything in life, a person gets out of something what they put in. Smalls groups are THE significant ministry that will help everyone at COTHA engage in our common life at a much deeper level. So why am I so sure small groups will help you and why I hope everyone at COTHA joins one?
Let me explain why I want you to join a group this year:
- You’ll have a place to bring your questions. I love sharing my heart with all of you on Sunday morning, but imagine you leave every week with questions you’d love to ask but have no where to take them. Small Group is your outlet. Most of our groups use questions from the Sunday sermon, which helps to continue the Sunday conversation. You’ll also discover that there are other people with similar questions.
- It’s hard to connect to over 300 hundred families here at COTHA. You’ll get to know people, and people will know you. It will go from, “Hey, guy who’s name I don’t know.” to, “Hey John, we’re praying for your nephew’s surgery, and we have a meal coming his way.” You need relationships like this, and if you have them already you need to invite others in. It’s what we do, and it’s who we are. Period. You just can’t build deeply meaningful relationships in the foyer, no matter how good the coffee is. Groups are our ticket to community.
- You’ll have a place to process life. I wish I could put this paragraph in all caps bold IT’S SO IMPORTANT. Every week I get calls and Facebook messages from people who are going through crisis or a significant life event – a diagnosis, a death, a change in career, a break up, or a personal crisis. The first question I ask them is whether they are in a small group. When they say no, three things happen
- My heart breaks for them, because often they are alone in their journey and they don’t have to be.
- They expect for me, as their pastor, to meet all their needs and I can’t feel the needs of the entire congregation. That’s where God’s wisdom is displayed in the lives of other individuals He’s equipped to help them through this significant life event.
- They become isolated and an easy target for Satan to unleash his wicked schemes on. When you chose to be in a group you chose support, solidarity, friendship, and Biblical community that we’re all called to live in.
Now I promise you our groups aren’t perfect. Sometimes we have great group experiences; sometimes we regroup! But being with a few slightly imperfect people who care is always better than being alone. And being with a community that knows you by name, knows your story and prays for you is better than being alone.
LIFE IS BETTER CONNECTED:
If you are NOT in a group, I STRONGLY encourage you to attend Group Link TONIGHT, Wednesday, February 8th from 7-8:30p in GrandCentral. You can register online right here. It’s not too late. If you forget to register just come anyway. We want you in group...see which one fits your schedule here.
Guess what I’m doing this year? Meeting with my small group! (we have had some fantastic group experiences). I hope you’ll do the same!
Darrel
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