I really love my community group, or home group as we call it. My home group is the glue that sometimes holds me together…that might sound intense or a bit dramatic, but if you knew these people and how we love big, encourage, and challenge each other, you would get it. Home groups aren’t always like that and, honestly, it hasn’t always been that way for me. Sometimes it’s more of a discipline.
I’ll get right to the thesis of this post: Community is an important investment regardless of what season of life you are in.
I first became involved in a home group when I was a part of the new young adult ministry at Council Road. I remember our first few meetings. Everyone was single and pretty flexible schedule-wise. We met all the time. We watched football games, went to Thunder games, went out to eat, met weekly in homes for dinner, and did all sorts of other really fun things together. What a sweet time of fun community! I think about the women in my community group then and how much I loved learning from them as we were all in a similar season of life, yet had very different interests and jobs. Then TJ and I got married and the group we were in morphed into a young adult married group. No kids, still lots of great conversation, fun hang outs, double dates. We relied on each other to help with moving and home projects. We learned together what it was like to be married, communicate, fight well…all that good stuff. Then things changed.
The first baby joined us and we held steady. Still had weekly meetings with a potluck dinner and teaching. Then another baby. Then another. Our group went from zero kids to 5000 in a matter of a few years. TJ and I even took a break from our weekly home group for a year because we couldn’t figure out how to make it work. This break actually reminded us of how beneficial community groups were and we jumped back in. However, we realized we were going to have to shift the way we were meeting to make it work. Kids really impacted discussion time and were everywhere. They. Were. Everywhere. So, we got creative and made a change.
Our previous home group multiplied to add new members and accommodate so many children. This led to our current home group which meets once a month with everyone together for a potluck dinner. We feed the kids then send them down the hall to people who love and care for them for about two glorious hours while the adults eat and spend time together. Then the women meet every other week in the evening for a very intentional time of vulnerability, accountability and prayer. The guys meet early one morning every week for the same. These people pick my kids up from school, drop off meals, take my kids to play, and meet me at playgrounds. More importantly, these people pray for me. They pray for the innermost details of my life, my family, my marriage. They know me and love me just the same. This is my community group right now.
I realize we will shift again. Community groups have a habit of doing that. Our kids will start participating in more activities, schedules will change, people will join, people will leave, our group will multiply. We will have to figure out what works for us then. Our kids will grow up, leave home, start new chapters in their lives. Our schedules will look different again and we will be back to figuring out what community should look like in a new season.
I realize this is not everyone’s story. Some travel for work, some aren’t married, some may not have children, some work nights, and so on. Your story may be different from mine. Regardless of what your life looks like, I pray you find or create a meaningful community group. I pray you find your people who show up on your porch when you say you won’t be at group tonight because you won’t be able to open your mouth without a river of tears flowing. I pray you find your people who come to help lay tile and paint walls. I pray you find your people who celebrate big with you when you have parenting victories, promotions, new homes and new babies. I pray you find your people who cry big with you when you experience pain and loss.
We were not meant to do this life alone. Community groups are worth the time and effort regardless of what season of life you are in. I pray you find yours.
If you are not connected to a group, please reach out so we can get you connected! Contact lfranks@councilroad.org for more info.
Meet the Author!
Casey Yates is a wife, mom, daughter, sister, friend and speech-language pathologist. She spends most of her time with her four young children but works as a pediatric speech-language pathologist a few hours a week. At CRBC, Casey serves in the Breakfast Club, Worship Team and Women's Ministry Leadership Team. Casey loves all things Christmas, reading a good book, walking with a friend, pie and coffee. Lots of coffee.
