.gif" hspace="4" vspace="4" width="270" height="180" align="right" />There is nothing like being a part of something new that God is doing. I shared that sentence with a new group that is starting at
our church. Groups at CCV come in all shapes and sizes and this new group, which caters to a growing number of seniors (55+), had its first meeting this past Saturday. They had a soup and salad lunch and a great dessert spread with cheesecake, key lime pie, and brownies. The people and the food have me hoping that they invite me to speak again soon!
To peak interest Pat, our volunteer leader for this group, asked if we could put an invitation in the bulletin on Sunday morning. It was a simple invitation that said, "DO NOT OPEN I UNLESS YOU ARE 55 OR OLDER." The invitation invited all of our seniors to the "Sensational Soup and Salad Saturday." My invitation was the only exception (since I'm not 55) since I was asked to share a devotional thought.
As I approached the building I heard the music of Sinatra and other classical artists. Seniors from our church greeted me at the door, gave me a name tag and escorted me to my table. Everything looked sharp, neat, and was done with excellence. I could immediately tell that this new group was starting off on the right foot and understands our church's value of EXCELLENCE. We often say, "Excellence honors God and inspires people."
The buzz at this meeting was great. It reminded me of the feeling I had when I visited CCV the second Sunday that the doors were open in the movie theater days (October 2000). I shared those memories with them and compared the new adventure that they are on now (starting something new in our church) to what we did in those early days. I am thrilled that we now have something for this growing age group in our church and I look forward to the life change that will happen as God uses these new relationships that are formed.
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There are lots of ways to keep your studies in your small group fresh. Some use DVD curriculum, some use different study guides, others will find an interesting book to read, or simply read the Bible together. But what about when you want to do something totally different?
I had a discussion today with a friend, Matt, from Levittown Christian Church (http://www.levittownchristian.com/) and he gave me an interesting idea. He couldn't remember exactly where he got it from, but here it is. You distrbute the following responsibilities to different people in your group and each member brings just one item off the following list:
- One article from a magazine or newspaper
- One passage or verse from the bible
- One interesting quote from someone
- One headline from the CNN or another news source
- Prayer requests
Add other stuff to make a list of your own and work through it in your small group!
Take a risk and try something new!
