Community

Before I start with the main topic to this posting which is community, I wanted to share what inspired it. Monday evening, I received a call informing me that one of the members of our weekly small group was taken to the hospital. Teresa and I prayed and I sent an e-mail asking for prayer. After 30 minutes, I received another call informing me that Rick Page (the small group member) had passed away. It shocked me and Teresa. We later found out he had a heart issue he and his wife knew nothing about. Rick was only 53 years old. As I was typing an e-mail to send to the Common Ground folks I kept thinking about our last small group meeting. Rick had brought his guitar and we spent 30 minutes just singing worship songs and I thought now Rick is worshiping our Savior face-to-face. It still brings tears thinking about it.

It is only because of our small group that I got to know Rick. I’ve knew he and his wife for almost 5 years but it wasn’t until we came together in a small group over a year ago that we started building a closer bond. I’ve been part of small groups for over 10 years and it never ceases to amaze me just how close a group can get. I do believe that a church should have small groups as its core because that is where the community is built. No matter how small or big a church is, small groups is where the bonds are created.

Our small group has dinner together each week before we do our Bible study. Doing this has created something that I have never seen before. It’s great to be apart of it. You see, I’m a member of the group; not the leader. I’m enjoying seeing how this group has brought out the gifts of Ed Frost (the host/leader of the group). This is a time for me to be part of a group and listen to others. I enjoy each week. The community in this group of 10.5 people -5 couples and baby Ripley (the .5) - is amazing. We hold each other accountable to words spoken and actions made, we love on each other, pray for each other, and now we are crying with each other.

I do wish more churches have small groups. The community that they create is what our world needs to see as an example of the New Testament church; people from different backgrounds, education, race, and financial make up all loving each other and sharing Christ with others.

Ed Frost has known the Page family for many years. Check out Ed’s thought about his friend at http://outerperspective.blogspot.com/.