Life Groupie, As I See It !

So last night, Kathy and I attended our life group meeting.  We are members of the “Saturday Night Life”  group which meets once a month, usually on the second Saturday.  Oh, how time flies, its been about seven years now since the group was formed and our leader, Karen Ruch, is fantastic.

We have a very organized meeting.  Free time in the begining for conversation and snacks, followed by our lesson (the really important part) and then closing prayers and finally some time for business matters before getting into the fellowship part of our evening.  We have a great time sharing stories about each other, catching up on each others  families and of course some time teasing each other on anything and everything we can think of.  

Usually the day after, I start contemplating just how wonderful these members and friends really are.  We are like family in a very special way.  We can talk to each other in confidence and rely on each other for help and caring and encouragement.  How great is that.  I hope we can continue to enjoy this fellowship for many more years to come.

Several years ago, many of us, during the various services on Saturday and Sunday, talked about why we joined a life group in an effort to get more people excited about it and maybe join one.  I remember talking about why I joined at the 5:30 service and again at the 8:45 service.  I had been asked several times in past years and Kathy always wanted to join, but stubborn me was to afraid and to embarrassed to do so.  Finally, after about twenty years of resisting, I gave in.  Many people were talking about why they joined a life group.  I went the other direction.  I came up with a list of reasons why I didn’t join one.  I wanted to share some of them with you now in the hopes that maybe, if you are feeling some of the same things I felt, that this may help you rethink your position about joining one.

1.  I never owned a bible and didn’t know how to use one, therefore I wasn’t about to start learning now.

2.  I was embarrassed because I didn’t know much about God and his life and was not about to give up my secret.  

3.  I learned all the typical stories about God and Jesus when I was in Catholic grammer school so, what else is there to learn, and frankly, I wasn’t sure I really cared anyway.

4.  I go to church every Sunday, thats enough for the week.  Anything more is just an inconvience.

5.  I’m a man, It’s not cool to be seen walking around with a bible. 

6.  If I did go to a meeting, I would be deathly afraid that someone would ask me a question about the bible or ask me to find a particular passage and I would have no clue what to do.

7.  I am too busy on weekends to allocate time for this kind of stuff.

and lastly,

8.  Looking around at everyone in church, I have to be one of many people who feel like I do, therefore, why bother.

If anyone is reluctant about life groups and are having any of the same feelings I did, please give it a second thought.  I never realized what I was missing until I took the chance.  Best thing I ever did.  Just ask my wife.

There is a list of Life Groups with there leaders posted on the bulletin board in the Narthex.  Check it out, make a call, take a chance, get “HIP“, become a “GROUPIE“, you’ll be glad you did.