Our church has grown a lot in the last year or so. Thanks to God’s greatness and a lot of hard work done by the staff and the members, we have baptized more people so far this year than we did all of last year, the number of children on Sundays has doubled, and the Sunday gathering is packed. It’s awesome.
Except our smallish church is now a medium-ish church, and that takes some adjustment. A year ago, new members would say they liked CCC because it wasn’t too big: they could know everyone and feel known by everyone. That is changing. In any healthy body of Christ followers, growth will hopefully be the cause of our greatest challenges. We are called to make disciples. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. The gospel makes things grow.
More people makes it hard to know everyone. It also makes it all the more important to connect in smaller groups. It is why our family hosts a home group/community group/life group/whatever-you-call-it in our house. We don’t want to lose the experience of deeply connecting our lives with people who will walk this Jesus life with us.
We love it. Except, after a dozen adults and twenty kids leave on Thursday nights, sometimes I cry. My house, clean three hours prior, is now a wreck. My kids are up way past their bedtimes. I am exhausted. But I know it is all worth it. Here are ten reasons I would rather cry in a messy house than be alone in a clean one:
10. Knowledge.
Our small group material is usually based on the sermon notes from the previous Sunday. After a few days of chewing on the message, we get to explore more deeply our own thoughts and feelings about the concepts. Revisiting the material and applying it to our own lives pushes us to really face God’s truth and internalize it.
9. Humility.
My house is not perfect. Sometimes I have no napkins and there are thirty people eating wings in my home. Whoops! I may forget to move the basket of clean laundry and twenty people are stepping over it for an hour before I realize it’s there. Once, right when group was starting, I dropped a Pyrex pan in the food, it shattered and ruined my lovely Chicken Parmesan. We ordered pizza. I just smile and say, “If it wasn’t this, it would be something else.”, then I move on.
8. Grace.
There have been drinks spilled, wedding crystal destroyed, toys broken, doors left open and bugs let in. Everyone in our family has had some precious object marred, misplaced, or mistreated. Most Thursdays, we seem to fight global warming with open doors and our air conditioner. But, having people in our home is a good reminder that people are more important than our things. I would trade all the crystal and china I own for the people in that room. My kids put away precious, breakable toys so that the toddlers won’t break them, but they are learning a valuable lesson with their other possessions. Love people first then steward your things, and when necessary, forgive accidents.
7. Food.
Let’s be honest. Sometimes, I am really just happy it’s Thursday because Laura is bringing blueberry French toast, Amy and Jordan are showing up with iced tea, and Melissa is making that goat cheese cranberry dip. I love party food. I love it. I can’t help it. I really, really love it. Party food is never healthy and always delicious. Plus, I have to eat what people bring to may house. It would be rude not to. I wish it were Thursday right now. Man, I’m hungry.
6. Awareness.
Having people in your home, talking about Jesus and their lives is a great reminder of how much we all need God. There is no one in our group who has a perfect life. When I meet neighbors, baseball parents, or people in Target, that awareness reminds me that these sweet people are no different. I am always looking for a way to invite them to church or our home group. Everyone fundamentally needs two things: God and people.
5. Honesty.
There is no greater moment than the one in which we all look at each other and say what is killing us, what victories have come, who in our families is struggling, or how awesome our week has been. Being able to be transparent and honest about it all is liberating. Having others to mourn or rejoice with us is glorious.
4. Prayer.
It is an honor and a joy to pray for one another on Thursdays. We have seen God do great things in one another’s lives. We have stood in faith for jobs, children, homes, and callings. I love being prayed for by people who love me. I love praying for people I love. That’s just living the Bible, but it is hard to find without a home group.
3. Sacrifice.
Hosting a gathering of any kind in your home is never easy. It is always going to cost you money, time, and inconvenience. The revenue we receive, though, far outweighs the cost. Our family is blessed to host our friends. God’s favor is great toward us because we look at our time, money, and comfort and say that they really belong to Him and His Kingdom. After all, every good and perfect gift is from Him. Every precious moment or possession is His. How can I begrudge thirty people a place to gather a few times a month when God has provided so much for me every day?
2. Friendship.
Once you have a career and children, it can be really hard to make new friends. Our lives are so full of activities, commitments, and labor we hardly have time to call someone and hang out. I know I wouldn’t have the relationship I do with the people in our group if we didn’t have a standing date. Thankfully, because of that standing date, we do other things together, our children love each other, and we have people we can call when we need a listening ear.
1. Mission.
Our home group has eaten together, learned together, laughed together, but best of all we have worked together. We had a garage sale and raised money for a family to adopt. We did hours of yard work for and painstakingly cleaned the homes of two different widows. We have watched one another’s children, painted one another’s houses, brought meals to people. A home group makes your world a little smaller, opens your eyes to how many people around you really do need help, and opens doors so you can help them. I am more able to live the Gospel because I am in a home group. No doubt about it. Our lives are blessed because we are living them together.
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