Serving with Your Small Group A couple months ago, Amanda Seidler shared with us about the importance of encouraging our small group members to connect, grow and serve with one another. Today, we feature the story of one of our family groups at the Wexford Campus, led by Peter and Kerri Boatwright. Peter and Kerri's small group has recently gotten more and more intentional about incorporating service projects into their small group's calendar, targeting at least one service project every two months. In October, their group hosted a Thanksgiving dinner and invited non-Christian friends who have recently moved from other countries to experience this holiday and learn what it is about. In December, they pooled their resources to purchase Christmas gifts for a family in need. In February, they celebrated the Chinese New Year by hosting a fundraiser for missions. In April, they attended a fundraising auction together for one of the families in their small group who serves in full-time ministry. These service projects have impacted the Boatwrights' group in a number of different ways. Serving together has provided an additional way to spend time together and build relationships with one another, a way to unify the group as they work side-by-side planning and executing each project, and finally, a way to shift the group's perspective outward, towards other-centered causes and an other-centered way of life. Additional training and resources related to serving as a small group can be found below. Plan to set aside some time at your next small group gathering to get creative as a group and brainstorm how you can serve together this summer. |