by Alisa Green

Last fall, when it was announced that there would be a church-wide study, Unbinding Your Heart, I felt called to join a small group. My family and I had been members of St. Luke’s for seven years, but we rarely participated in any church activities other than going to service at 9:45 a.m. I would read in the bulletin about different groups, but wasn’t motivated to act. I think what changed my mind this time was because it was a church-wide study, and I liked that it would be connected to the Sunday sermons.

I was able to join a group of moms that had children in the youth program (3rd grade and older) and was looking forward to meeting with moms that were having similar experiences. At our first meeting, we introduced ourselves and started our discussion, which led to talking about praying.

I said I felt like sometimes I couldn’t pray enough. As I shared that I was worried about a family member that had been diagnosed with a terminal illness, I broke down in tears and was quite embarrassed to do so in front of twelve women I had just met. But the support they showed me that day lifted me up and I knew that God was calling me to join this group so He could show me how He was with me, in good and bad times.

I looked forward to our weekly meetings and made sure to have my calendar clear. It amazed me that we bonded so well and so quickly. After we finished Unbinding Your Heart, we decided to continue meeting. We have studied three other books, as well as the St. Luke’s Lenten study, and the current series, Yours, Mine, & Ours. We met most weeks in the summer too, wanting to keep up our Inside-Out habits. I have gained so much from the Bible study: I pray more, I read the Bible more, I am more comfortable talking about my faith, and I have an amazing, supportive community that I know I can count on.

I am thankful that God called me to the Bible study last fall and am grateful for the wonderful people that I have met.