when you grow up in the church, have inseparable youth group friends who go on retreats and missions trips with you, it's not hard to find community. you've got a built-in group of friends your age who meet up once a week for worship, teaching, and a game that is either embarrassing or competitive and sometimes involves a dodgeball that may or may not break a nearby window.
but what about when you're in your 20s, starting off at a new church with your spouse, and you suddenly don't have that group of people who are in the same stage of life as you?
last summer, after spending two years at a church without feeling at home in any group, devin and i started going to a church around the corner from us. the very first time we visited their "college and career" small group, i was like yaasssss this is what i was looking for. we already had christian friends from different parts of our life (and they're amazing!), but we hadn't found that solid group in a home church since being married in 2012.
our "life group," as the church calls it, is made up of college kids, married couples, and singles. it's a beautiful mix, and it feels like home. we talk about our frustrations at work, the difficult parts about following Jesus, and what we took away from the sermon. we get ice cream (read: water ice) after group, have cookouts, and make plans to see All Sons & Daughters together in concert (even though sometimes the snow ruins those plans).
i used to read blog post's about finding community and just how great it was to have that group, and i was like you can take all your touchy-feely small group crap and shove it in your cute, monogrammed bible and ... i was kinda bitter. for those of you who haven't found that good group of christians yet, be patient. God's already working out a space for you in a group of other believers, because he knows we can't do this alone.
so here's to patience, fellowship, and letting God lead you!
today i'm linking up with the peony project, which you can learn more about here!
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