A little story:
When I was in college, I was a part of an incredible organization called
Dance Marathon. (Clink on the link for more info on what it is!) For almost a year straight I worked closely with 17-ish other executive board members and a huge team of students towards the common goal of making this event possible. It. was. awesome. And a ton of work.
After countless meetings, line dance practices, retreats, and 72 hours of barely sleeping before and during the event, naturally we all became super close. When the event was over I experienced such a rush of emotions, the strongest being the sense of
support and
community I felt with this amazing group of individuals. I specifically remember having a conversation about this feeling with another one of the members remarking on how wonderful it was, how we had never experienced anything like it before, and how we hope that this feeling would stay forever.
Unfortunately it didn’t. The majority of us graduated shortly after the event was over and went our separate ways all across the country. I still keep in touch with many of these people and definitely still feel a great connection with them but since we are no longer in each others lives at the same capacity as we were when the event was going on, the feeling of community has naturally faded somewhat.
You may be wondering “Cody, what does this totally great and heartwarming story have to do with small groups?”. Don’t worry I’m getting to that.
What is a small group?
First of all, a small group is a small (duh) group of girls or guys (usually from a church) that engage with each other in a community that is gospel-focused. Think of it like a bible study that is really focused on supporting and loving one another. My church likes to say its a group of people who “
do life together”.
Before moving to Chicago I had never been in a small group before. I had gone to bible study a handful of times in college but never really connected to it because I felt judged and like I didn’t belong. After I re-dedicated myself to my faith, however, I decided it was time to take the plunge and join one once and for all.
Remember earlier in this post when I was talking about the sense of community that I felt with Dance Marathon? Yeah, like 6 sentences ago? Well guess what... my small group is just like that-but
ON STEROIDS!
We are only 4 weeks in (aka I have only known these girls for a month) but I already feel an incredible connection with them which has truly taken me by surprise. I never expected to find such a loving group of individuals who I can laugh with, cry with, learn from, and grow with after such a short amount of time. I feel incredibly lucky to have found this community and honestly don’t know how I have gone this far in life without something like this.
Why you should join a small group ASAP!
We are social creatures and we were meant to live in community with one another. In fact, studies have shown that people who feel a sense of community report higher levels of happiness and well-being. That’s a big deal!
So, would you like to find a group of people who share your
values, who are
open and accepting, who
love and support you through the good times and the bad, and who
challenge and encourage you to grow in your faith? If so, go join a small group as fast as humanly possible! It is, without a doubt, one of the best decisions I have made in my life and I cannot recommend it enough.
If you are not a very open person by nature and the idea of telling a group of people about your struggles and fears makes you want to climb in bed, hide under the covers, and never come out, you are not alone! It is not in everyone's first nature to open up so easily and plenty of people who join small groups take a while to warm up to the group- don't let this discourage you from joining one. It can take a few weeks to build that trust with the group you are in - try and make it a personal challenge to share a little more than you are comfortable with every week. Letting people into your life can be scary and make you feel vulnerable but it is so worth it, I promise.
If this sounds like something you are interested in, I encourage you to join a small group at this week! If you are a member of a church, ask someone how to join one. And if you don't have a church or your church doesn't currently offer groups, you can always get a group of your friends together and start your own!
I sincerely hope that your experience will be every bit as life-changing as mine has been!
I would love to hear about your small group experiences- share in the comments below! :)
