When I first laid eyes on my husband, I thought he was the most attractive man in the bar. The question was, who would initiate the relationship? Considering he had not yet noticed me, I knew I would need to get us started. He was flirting with every girl at the table across the room, so I figured he must not be dating anyone. I was right and the rest of that story is for another time.

In this broken world, people often don’t feel they belong. If you ache for the smaller church community at  Gordon Avenue, small groups are where you will find belonging now. As a church grows, the social circles become smaller. It is not possible to know everyone in the church, but it’s essential you know a few people, intimately.

In order to be known and to belong, each of us must start building a small group. We must initiate the conversation. We have to go from waiting to be asked to becoming the conductor of friendships. Being able to  do this often takes a vertical perspective shift from the Holy Spirit and the horizontal nudging of brothers and sisters in Christ.

If you’re at a loss to initiate, start by asking good questions. People in our church are waiting to be asked and to be invited in. They seek belonging. Those who know they are loved by God should begin the conversation first. It is tiring at times to go first, but we can do it with joy because He first loved us.

Lindsey Ungs
Connection & Communication Architect