When my husband and I started attending Lake Avenue Church in 2017, joining a small group seemed like the most natural way for us to get more involved. Pastor Annie Neufeld connected us with four other couples and helped us launch a new group. People have joined and left the group over the past five years, but one of the things that has been the most meaningful for me is the simple consistency of being intentionally connected with a small group of people on a weekly basis.
So often, it seems God has a way of giving us what we need before we even realize we'll have such a need. In many ways, this small group has been that for me. We didn’t realize that we would face a pandemic and that we’d be isolated in our homes for long stretches of time. As a stay-at-home (suddenly, quite literally) mom of two tiny kids, being connected with our weekly small group on Zoom was a lifeline for me. I also faced some significant family strife shortly after I joined the group and being able to regularly pray about my struggles and heartbreak with them was another lifeline. I’m grateful for this community and for how we care for one another—praying for and encouraging each other, lending baby and maternity clothes and children’s books, helping take care of each other’s dogs, making each other laugh with silly jokes. Thank you so much, dear small group, for being a special part of my life!
If you’d like to host or join a small group this fall, we’d love to connect you! We’ll be launching short-term small groups in September. Questions? For more details, contact Pastor Annie Neufeld at , 626.817.4876, or visit us at our table in the Worship Center Lobby.