My family and I were part of our second small group When I realized there were other LifePoint attendees who lived in my subdivision. We talked together about hosting a neighborhood fireworks show, since each of us knew of neighbors who’d spent a lot of money on fireworks the previous Fourth of July but seemed to shoot them almost as a competition. We contacted these neighbors and asked if they would be willing to combine their fireworks for a massive subdivision show. They all agreed and on the fourth we threw a big cookout party with a bonfire and fireworks. Before the fireworks started, people were introducing themselves and telling where they lived. As I made my way through the large crowd, I listened for any sign of or lack of spiritual conversation or words.

A few of the neighbors knew I was on staff at LifePoint; they made a point of introducing me to other families who had revealed that they attended LifePoint. I met twelve families that night who seemed open to the idea of attending a cookout at my house in a couple of weeks. I told them that the cookout was to discuss maybe having a Bible study at my house. Eight of those families showed up for the cookout, and seven of them committed to attending a six-week discussion/study on parenting. I found it very interesting that only four of these families actually attend a church. So there we were starting a neighborhood small group — and half the group was unchurched.

We were a group for a little over six months. At some point we discussed other subdivision residents we had befriended over the last few months. Wondering if they would be interested in being in a small group, one of the couples in our group hosted an open house and each of us invited more neighbors. Within a few months we had two small groups meeting in our subdivision.

 

Mosley, Eddie (2011). Connecting in Communities: Understanding the Dynamics of Small Groups (Kindle Locations 339-353). Navpress. Kindle Edition.

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