Can a group grow my faith?

Do you have a group of people who you regularly talk about your faith with? Who you consistently pray with? Share your struggles and ask your questions? Learn from their experiences? Get encouraged by and encourage them?

Or are you “doing your faith by yourself”?
I get it. I did my faith by myself for years. I read my Bible and prayed and loved Jesus, but felt uncomfortable sharing my fears and doubts or asking anyone to pray for any of the real concerns I had. I was also nervous about being in a group with people who I feared knew their Bibles better or were “better Christians” or who would judge me for my past–who would look down at me. But I was missing out on so much!

Are you doing your faith alone? How's that working out for you?

When we gather together we can be pointed back again and again to how much Jesus loves us, how He’s on our side fighting for us, how much grace He has for us.

The truth is, we’re all on faith journeys. We’re all figuring it out. We’re all still learning. There’s no such thing as a “better Christian.” We all have so much to learn from each other–from each other’s backgrounds and experiences and stages of life, from what God is teaching them, what they’re reading in their Bibles, hearing in their prayer times, struggling with, discovering, how God has answered their prayers and opened doors in their lives. 

And you 100% have something to teach the others in the group no matter who you are. Even if you’ve just met Jesus. Even if you’ve never been in a group before. Even if you’re not even sure where to start in your Bible. You have the things God is teaching you, Jesus is whispering to you, the prayers deep down in your heart. The stories and perspectives only you have from walking in your shoes. 

You can benefit from the experiences and wisdom of others in a small group AND enrich and encourage others by being in a small group. It’s a win-win for everyone!

Where to start?

1. Your local church. Loads of churches of all denominations have small groups, community groups, house churches, faith groups, prayer groups, connection groups, Bible studies that meet on a regular basis. They usually have a place on their website to find out more or sign up. They’re almost always free. If you don’t belong to a church or yours doesn’t have one, check out another church near you.
   
2. Ask your friends, coworkers, teammates, or neighbors. Even if they don’t belong to a small group–they might know of a group that meets or have a friend who is in a group they love. It’s definitely worth the ask from someone whose opinion you trust.
   
3. Make your own. I’ve been in church-led Bible studies and church-organized small groups over the years that have been fabulous. But about four years ago my husband and I were missing this kind of community and texted a handful of friends and asked them if they’d like to get together about once a month to talk about Jesus. They said yes and we’ve been gathering around tables together ever since.
   

Jesus said, “Where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”  Of course Jesus is with you when you’re alone, but when a group of people seeking Jesus gets together there is power in that. This is how the church began. Read the book of Acts if you want the deets. Groups of believers gathered in homes and prayed and talked about Jesus’ teachings and spent time together on the regular.

Keep it simple--just gather together.

Listen, it doesn’t matter if you meet in a house or a restaurant or at church. It doesn’t matter if you meet every week or every month. It doesn’t matter if you use a book or set curriculum or if people take turns setting a topic or you simply show up to share what God has been doing for you and how you’d like to experience Him even more. It’s the getting together–that’s where the magic happens. 

My husband and I have been in a variety of small groups over the years. Some have worked. And some…have not. 

When a group fizzles out or people move away or it feels like a really bad fit it can be easy to give up, to say, “I tried it, but it didn’t work.” But the Bible urges us to “not give up meeting together, but encourage one another (Hebrews 10:25).”

If you need a nudge to sign up, reach out or try again–this is it! A smaller gathering of people following Jesus is a safe, comforting place for you to grow your faith, your joy, your peace, your purpose,  AND a wonderful opportunity for you to do the same for others who are also seeking the abundant grace and love Jesus invites us into.

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