We are trying an experiment on Thursday nights. We are trying something new with small groups. Before we get to what that looks like, let me share with you some thoughts about small groups.

1) They provide an opportunity to connect with other Christians.

“So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.” Ephesians 2:19

Just as families come together so do fellow believers. We need to connect with each other.

2) They provide an opportunity to be encouraged.

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24,25

These times we live in make it very difficult to live a godly life. We need each other, fellow believers in Christ, to encourage us when it get hard to live like Christ. It’s that encouragement that gives us what we need to continue the race with perseverance.

3) They provide an opportunity to grow spiritually.

“When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.” Romans 1:12

“Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.” Galatians 6:1

We can learn from each others experiences. And we need others who aren’t blinded by our own hard-heartedness to call us on our sin. Yes, you can judge other Christians. That is one of our jobs as believers. (We are not, however, to judge the unbeliever).

Here’s our experiment. Based on a 4 week month, the first Thursday of the month will be out ‘outreach’ night. This is the night for you to bring your friends that don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus. The other 3 weeks of the month are 100% small group nights. You will show up here and go to your small groups for a time of in depth Bible study. you will be stretched, asked the hard questions, and cared for by your group and your small group leader.

So mark your calendar…October 1st will be our first Outreach night. October 8, 15,22 will be our small group nights. We are going to run with this through the end of the year. Then we will come together and evaluate…see what you think. We will then either make some small changes, keep it the way it is, or go back to the ‘normal’ Thursday nights.