What’s so exciting? The fact that a nationally-recognized leader, Al Gore, is calling for the US to take immediate action toward 100% reliance on renewable energy resources…in the next 10 years!

There’s a speech on the site where he outlines his call to action. I found it quite compelling – since our government leaders and business leaders seem not to be taking bold directions on the issue of climate change.

I’d love to hear others’ opinions on this.

Then I came to Northminster and joined my first small group. I was in group with a couple of people who had starkly, vastly, drastically different ideas from mine. So much so that we would get in the car, and Nathan knew the fumes were coming out of my ears. But I enjoyed spending time with these folks and grew to respect their faith and their spirits. Now are they wrong about some really key stuff, sure. (That’s a bit of a joke, if my typing doesn’t communicate the humor.) I know with one friend I was really able to say how I felt, hear how he felt, and continue to call him friend.

That experience has stretched me and changed essential things about who I am. It’s not easy to sit at the dinner table with people who feel passionately for something that you are passionately against, but it’s powerful to work through or around that and still be able to end on a note of love.

Throughout the fall and winter months, conversations were taking place all around Northminster about our need for community within our church and our need to reach the community around our church. It seemed like we had a handful of people who had a desire to really step up their personal involvement in these areas. People were getting excited through these conversations, and it was decided to invite this very diverse group of people together for a simple dinner to share their concerns and visions. Out of these conversations a small group was formed.

I like to think of us an action group. Discussion occurs, bible study takes place, but at the end, the focus goes back to what we are being called to do next as a group. This is not a comfort group. It is not comfortable to step out and move. There has been an openness in our group that is amazing. Tears shed over heartbreaks and dreams of what our church is and can be.

We are not a group of alike people, other than that we want to serve God in His church. Some have families, others don’t. There is a large range of ages. Our backgrounds differ greatly. All of these things make us a stronger group. We graciously put up with each other’s faults. We were not all close friends before joining together. We search out others in our congregation who want to study and serve along with us. We are bound together by our longing to see the church serving those in need.

While I do agree that groups could become cliques, I also think that when the focus is on God and His kingdom this is a lot less likely to occur. Sacrifices are made weekly, sometimes even more often, to be in real small groups.

There is nothing special or different about small groups from any ministry or “committee” of the church. Each depends on individuals joining together to be engaged and serve. Dedication is so important to the success that any group will produce. A small group has provided accountable dedication and opportunities for service within Northminster for me.