Doing Life Together

I miss life groups! One thing about living this far out is that the programs and opportunities for involvement are more limited and not as varied as being closer to the metroplex would be. Walker and I have talked to a few of other couples about developing a “life group” type group in Wolfe City. We have noticed that we have to do a lot of explaining about what it is, why it meets in a home, etc. These are very valid questions and when I was first introduced to the concept, I definitely wondered about all of the logistics. Over the next few days I’ll be breaking down what a life group is and painting a picture about how to go about implementing a life group.

Walker and I have been privileged to be a part of a couple of different life groups. While attending a church in Frisco, the church had three or four service times to choose from and had in attendance 500-750 people per service, sometimes more. In place of Sunday school they offered life groups. I have seen this offered in other churches and love the way it works out. When we expressed interest in joining a life group, we were paired with a group that had similar life circumstances, were approximately in the same stage of life, and whose location was in close proximity to our neighborhood. The first group we were paired with was when we were expecting Remy. The host house was within walking distance of our own home, and there were three other couples that agreed upon a meeting time, agreed upon food & drink, and agreed upon a mode. I’ll break all of these down into more detail in just a moment.

The second group we were paired with was a few weeks after Remy was born. Two of the other couples had newborns or were pregnant. This group ended up being an ideal fit for us and we stuck with this group for about a year, before we moved. This was a group of church leadership and constantly used the phrase “doing life together” as a way to describe our group, what we were doing when we met, etc. We are doing life together.

There is something that is truly apostolic about believers gathering with their families in a home to break bread and do life. We started a group in our home that met for the first time a couple of nights ago. It’s just a couple of families who have agreed to gather every other week. It is not associated with a church. I’ve been asking myself a lot of questions regarding the group.

What is a life group? Is a life group always associated with a church? What are the functions and expectations within the group? Does it take the place of Sunday school? Is it in addition to Sunday school or Wednesday activities? Is it a Bible study? Is it a devotional? Is it prayer or worship or encouragement or support?

Something More: Defining a Life Group

Things I am seeking: friendships, accountability, family time, sharing our home, swapping recipes, gleaning from others’ life experience, having meaningful adult conversations involving Christian life, praying for the needs of others in our community.

Several years back I went with a group to Germany to teach English to German students. The big draw for the Germans was coming to learn English from Americans. Built in to every evening was a time of worship, prayer and a message. In German it was called “Etwas Mehr” , “Something More” in English.

I’m not sure if the group that is emerging in our home is a life group, and I still have many unanswered questions. However, I do know that it is the “Something More” that I’ve been seeking.