When I was asked to write about my reasons for joining a small group, and what I have gotten out of the experience, I started to think about my journey at St. Luke’s. After an invitation from friends, I began my journey the weekend following Hurricane Harvey. Without that invitation, I would not have recognized how much I wanted to find a community in which my faith would grow and strengthen. I had been attending different churches throughout the Houston area for years, and not finding what I was looking for. I wanted a church community with an adult education program.

As I attended the Sunday services, the sermons were exactly what I needed to hear and made me want to become a part of the community at St. Luke’s. I also appreciated how the congregation was encouraged to find a small group or Sunday School class to get involved in to continue faith development. The first group I joined was the Inside-Out Habits class. In this class, I was introduced to five principles to help strengthen my relationship with God. Through this group, I had the opportunity to meet others on a similar journey as myself. Because we were all in different stages of our journeys, the discussions were very open and honest. This group helped me begin to feel more comfortable speaking about my strengths and weaknesses in finding a faith community.

As the class was coming to an end, I began to look for another small group with the help of the facilitators of the Inside-Out Habits class and the church’s website. The in-person groups were not compatible with my work schedule, but I continued to check back weekly in case new groups were added. I’m glad I did because The Well was added to the list. I reached out to the leader requesting to join. I was nervous and felt inferior in the beginning because I could not recite specific passages from the Bible. With each session, I became more and more comfortable with asking questions and sharing my thoughts on the Bible verses we were studying. I also began to feel more comfortable praying out loud, sharing my prayer requests, and discussing my faith with those outside my church community. The ladies in this group have helped me become more secure in my faith. They have become my friends and family.

If you are looking for a way to grow in your faith and build a stronger faith community around you, I highly recommend joining a small group.

Register for the Small Groups Launch here.