Our New Small Group

We had such a wonderful small group in Bartlesville. We were in the same group from the time we joined Grace Community Church until about six to nine months before we moved away. It did change a lot over the years, different people, different times, etc., but it was the same group with some of the same people. We spent ten years in a small group with the Rumph's. The Casselberry's were in the group since shortly after Jason was born. We were mentored, held accountable, loved and nurtured by these people. We were with each other through new life and the loss of life, laughed with each other a lot and cried with each other some. We formed amazing friendships, which have and will continue to influence us for the rest of our lives! I miss the group so much!

When we decided to start a new small group here, on Thursday nights, which is the same night we met in Bartlesville, I felt extra homesick. But we have now met for two weeks, and it is so exciting and so fun to form new relationships. I try to imagine our friendships with these people in 10 years. When we joined our small group in Bartlesville, we were by far and away the youngest in the group. Now, in this group, we are the oldest! I think of what those "older" relationships (sorry to use the word older!) have meant to me, what I have learned from those who went before and even the opportunities God gave me to teach them, even though I am so much younger. We have those same opportunities with this new group, and I look forward to teaching and learning from them.

I have a really cool story about the group that I want to share. There is a couple who decided to join our launch team just a week before launch. Their names are Alex and Rhiannon. They are fairly new believers (maybe three years or so), and they are so excited about how God is using them and so excited to play a role at Kaleo. I don't know her real well yet, but I believe she very likely has the gift of evangelism. Well, she invited a friend of hers and her husband to join us last week. We were just having a social time to get to know each other better. I don't know where they are in their walk with the Lord, but I don't think they attend church, and at the risk of sounding judgmental, I really don't think they know Jesus. Anyway, they came, and we had a nice evening. We did not do anything real "churchy", but we did talk for about 10 minutes about what people wanted out of the group and then Brent closed in prayer. When this couple left, they were nice and said they enjoyed meeting us and gave me their email so I could let them know what was going on, but then the husband told the gal who invited them that he just isn't into church stuff, so I never expected to see them again. So I was ecstatic when they came last night. I had prayed that God would lead them back if He so desired - I prayed about it all week. I had emailed them and told them that we would be meeting for fellowship AND Bible study, so they knew what they were coming to. It was fantastic. They participated and asked great questions and just seemed really at home. Even better, they offered to bring dinner for the group next week, so apparently they are coming back. I am excited to be a part of what God is doing in their lives and in our lives through them. I am also just so excited about the boldness of Alex and Rhiannon, who invited them. Please pray for our group as we are witnesses to this couple and all the people who we run into who do not know Jesus!

It has been crazy busy with church stuff since launch, so my posts are so infrequent. It's nice that there are some of you who still check to see if I am out here in Blogland!!!