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Small Groups come in all shapes and sizes

Before coming to Cross of Life, the biggest church I served had about 200 members.  Needless to say, here at Cross of Life there are a lot more faces and names to remember, and more people to get to know.  As counter-intuitive as it might sound, the more members a church has, the more challenging it can be for members to feel connected and to feel a part of the community.

And that’s why small groups are so important.  Small groups provide close-knit communities within the larger community.  It is easier to get to know others in a small group setting, and getting to know people in one group provides a springboard for getting to know people in each other’s wider circle of friends and acquaintances.

A study by LifeWay Research concluded that small groups provide environments for people to grow in Christ, and a writer for Christianity Today noted that small groups provide opportunities to: build relationships, hold each accountable, pray for one another, challenge one another, and support one another.

And the great thing about small groups is they come in all shapes and sizes, and the people in those groups are drawn together by a wide variety of interest and focus.  Here at Cross of Life, we have a number of existing small groups (whether or not they think of themselves in that way) that are engaged in all aspects of the life of our congregation.

The two newest groups are:
The Boomer Singles group: If you are single and are part of the Baby Boomer generation, or even if you’re close on either end of the spectrum and would like to be part of a fun group that provides community and support for one another, you are invited to come participate.  The group meets periodically for fellowship and other activities.
Monthly Men’s Group:  This group has started meeting once a month on a Saturday morning at the church.  While the guys tend to fall in the mid-40s to mid-60s range, all are welcome to join us for conversation and prayer over a cup of coffee.

But there are others as well, many of which have been meeting for a number of years.  These include, but are not necessarily limited to:

• The Young Professionals for young adults
• The Weekly Men’s Group on Monday evenings
• The COL Book Club
• Lunch Bunch
• The Quilters
• Friday Fixers
• The Contemporary Band, Chancel and Handbell Choirs
• And of course our Sunday School classes for all ages: adult, high school, middle school, and children.

As you can see, small groups can meet for a variety of reasons, drawn together by a variety of interests, and include a variety of ages.  If you are interested in becoming a part of a small group, or if you would like to start a new group, I encourage you to contact me and let’s make that happen!