A group of 12...there must be something to that!

Hello, Everyone! 

We know that Jesus called 12 unlikely followers to be His disciples, those that he shared the details of His ministry.  Why 12?

In Jesus' time, numbers held an important place in the culture of the Jewish people - 40 represented passage of a particular amount of time (as in "40 days and and 40 nights" or it could mean a generation of people) and 7 was a holy number.   The number 12 was also a significant number in the Jewish culture, with there being, for example, the Twelve Tribes of Israel.  Twelve was a good, culturally significant number. 

Because of Jesus' example, we as Christians have "small groups" in which we share a little more intentionally, a little more intimately, the details of our lives and of our faith journeys.  The small group holds us accountable with our Scripture reading and with our actions in our lives.  That is why these small groups are so important in our faith journeys. 

We have many small group options at LFUMC, from the Sunday school experience to Men's and Women's Bible study groups to Disciple Bible Study.  Prayerfully consider your role in an existing small group or the organization of a new one.  Small groups can be topic-driven, Scripture-driven or as organic as simply meeting once a week to hold each other accountable and to pray with each other.  You can meet at the church, in someone's home or at a public place.  The beauty of small groups is that they can be tailored to the needs of those in them.  Our blogspot can become a sort of small group!

In the summer, LFUMC Connect Team will again host a "Taste of Small Groups".  Consider groups that are needed in our church by yourself and by others.  I would love to talk to you about them!

Here is an idea to get you started thinking about a small group - I am reading a book called One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.  It is a challenge to us to seek out those everyday blessings in our lives - "a dare to live fully right where you are."  You might enjoy the book and talk about it with a friend or two and that might get you meeting every week.  That's the beginning of a small group! 

Let this quote from Mahatma Ghandi lead us in our service in Christ this week -  

"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.  Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."  Let our faith journeys and sharing in Christ help others to see Christ in us.