Here’s how I know we are doing something right.
Our group said goodbye tonight to one of our members. He is moving on to a job opportunity out-of-state. His fiance will stay behind for a couple of months until they get married, then will join him. They are both fresh out of college, starting their careers, and beginning their life together. While we are sad they are leaving, we see that this opportunity is good for his career and so we are happy for them. They have been such a blessing to our group and to South Plains over the last several years and so it is hard not to rejoice with them.
Well, most of us are excited.
My son is not.
As he talked to me tonight, saddened by and trying to come to grips with this loss, he said these words: “They were supposed to get married, and have jobs here, and have kids, and our group would be able to help their kids grow up and follow Jesus.”
While I personally never thought they would stay here for their entire adult lives, I love that my son did. I love more that he saw his small group as a place where older children (we call them “1 Older” at South Plains) would help the younger (“1 Younger”) children follow Jesus. I am also thrilled that he could bravely (I say bravely, because like many of us, he was fighting back the emotions) pray during our prayer time: Lord, help them be the light of Jesus in this new place.
Yes, I think 1 Groups are doing something right.
1 Groups 