Two years ago, when I knew that the Discipleship team at Resurrection had developed a new strategy toward small group formation that focused on creating a culture of belonging I pretty quickly felt a “nudge” to lead an online group. (You know what I’m talking about… the move of the Holy Spirit that touches your mind, heart and soul and won’t leave you alone.) After all, I knew how much I needed “belonging” and felt a burden for others who were most likely feeling the same way. I was VERY hesitant to volunteer though because I understood that the meetings would need to occur by Zoom, and the technology totally intimidated me. I’d never led a Zoom meeting in my life. Yet, I knew that I wanted to respond to what the Holy Spirit was leading me to do and have faith that God would work things out. That’s exactly what happened.
Yes, my faith was strong, BUT I still felt like I needed to create some comfort for myself. I decided to start out by targeting women in my age group and phase of life and limiting it to 8 people. God allowed that to happen by bringing together the most beautiful band of tender, caring, compassionate women I could imagine!
We resonated with what we encountered in the small group journals. Like the story of the Israelites’ wilderness wanderings, our individual stories felt similar. The women in my group ALL voiced feelings of isolation, loneliness, and “invisibility” in the beginning days of our group time. Over the two-year journey that’s now coming to a “technical” close, our shared journey of exploration and growth, as envisioned, led to a sense of purpose, belonging and growth among these women that I now call sisters in Christ and dear friends. Together, we learned how to serve each other well. We prayed for each other and others; we cried together when members lost elderly parents, pets, or friends. We praised God together for our blessings and answered prayers. We celebrated birthdays with cards. A few of us were even able to meet in person despite being spread across the country. We cultivated a deep awareness of our own personal stories – and each other’s – and shared our 7-word testimonies. In essence, we became a Community of Blessing to each other and to those God put in our paths. We developed a deeper understanding of the sacred community in loving relationship with God that we were part of and a deeper awareness of the mission we’re on to bless the world to create Communities of Hope.
God renewed our hearts, just as He did the Israelites’. We experienced Him breaking negative cycles in the lives of our group members and start new stories through restored relationships with family members and others, through improvements in mind, body and soul, and through a desire to glorify God with tangible acts of service in our local areas.
God’s “big story” is unfolding all around us. The Discipleship team at Resurrection understood and embraced that story and created a path for those longing for community, blessing and hope to participate in that story in a very personal, powerful way.
I’m glad for that nudge two years ago. Our group is finishing the Year 2 Journal, but we will continue to meet. I think John Wesley would be proud to see his model in action today and know that there are 9 women whose lives are better because he promoted a concept and methods for community. To God be the glory!
