Well, tonight we resumed our Sunday night Community Groups after a four week break during the holidays and special meetings. It was really nice to gather together with our friends for fellowship, Bible study, discussion, and prayer after the long break.
There are so many things about worshipping and serving at Community that I love. But I was reminded tonight how much I value our group's time together on Sunday nights. I cannot imagine another way to develop the intimacy with my brothers and sisters in the Lord to the degree we have without these groups. It is just after 11:30 p.m. and the last few people just left. If you told me four years ago that I would go to a church where we would welcome 24 people (half of which are children) into our house each week who would stay 'til 11 p.m. or so and that when they left, we would be sad to see them go, I would have thought you were crazy! But here I sit, thinking about the great time we had tonight around God's Word and the joy we have as a result. Incidentally, that is what the lesson was about tonight - Nehemiah 8: Joy.
I think the community group is the missing link in many churches like ours. I'm thankful to have built into the structure of our church life a weekly opportunity to BE the body of Christ. It's part of the formula that puts the Community in Community Baptist Church!
