One of the greatest joys in my life is my small group. We have met every Thursday at lunch for the last three years, and in those last three years, we have shared a lot of life together. Pregnancies, births, job changes, moves, deaths of people we love, kids starting Kindergarten, ordination, trips to urgent care — you name it and we’ve journeyed together through it. I cannot imagine making it through the last three years without the support, love, and encouragement of my small group.

These eight ladies that I am privileged to know love me well and show up when things are hard. They are a group of women that I admire and that I learn kindness and faithfulness from.

We were not created to journey through life alone.

We are, in fact, at our best when we are in community together. There is something healing about having a group of people you can be painfully honest with and who love you no matter what, warts and all. It is beautiful and of God to feel like you really belong somewhere. And these ladies and I belong to each other. We pray for one another, break bread together, and love each other’s kids.

Currently, we’re reading Bob Goff’s book, “Everybody Always.” In it, Goff states, “Jesus talked to His friends a lot about how we should identify ourselves. He said it wouldn’t be what we said we believed or all the good we hoped to do someday. Nope, He said we would identify ourselves simply by how we loved people. It’s tempting to think there is more to it, but there’s not. Love isn’t something we fall into; love is someone we become.”

That passage summarizes to me exactly what it means to be in community with these ladies.

We come from different backgrounds and have different theological and political points of view, and yet we all hold space for one another and treat each other with respect. I can tell them anything and I know that they will be there.

They help me, daily, become Love.

I am thankful that HPUMC treats community with such importance. Each person that walks into our doors has the opportunity to be a part of a loving community that is non-judgmental and supportive, where you can go to be yourself, to learn, to pray together, and to serve others.

It’s a little scary to be vulnerable with others, particularly in our current culture, but vulnerability is necessary to grow spiritually and to deeply connect with others. The Small Group Launch is a great way to start! My hope for everyone is that they have a chance to belong to a group of people that helps them grow in love.