This past weekend, our online small group met up for the third time and it was amazing. We have gotten past the acquaintance stage and are already planning to meetup in the near future, which may be somewhat of a challenge since we are spread across the US in three different timezones.

How is this possible? I mean, it is only the third week.

It think it comes down to commitment. Each of us has decided to give up 90 minutes to meet each week and invested financially by paying for the curriculum – which has set the stage for our times together. It reminds me of something that I heard at the Brooklyn Tabernacle while on a Missions Trip this past Spring Break.

The atmosphere of expectation is the breeding ground for miracles.

Israel Houghton

The first week, we simply took the time to get to know one another (you can meet the guys here), do some life-sharing and discuss our expectations for this group. In the second week, Ryan facilitated the group as I was away on a personal prayer retreat which was part of my Chi Alpha CMIT Experience (I blogged about that here). While I was away, the tackled and discussed the content and exercises from the second week of the curriculum.

Now that we are were all caught up and getting into the swing of things, we continued working on our ‘life timeline’. It is the primary activity we are working on although there is devotional content each week (you can actually see a sample here). And let me tell you, this is not easy but it is worthwhile. We have already written down the names of people that have shaped us as well as books, circumstances and accomplishments. This past week, we started to layer on spiritual events or memorable moments on our timeline so when we met up, we began to discuss the themes we continually saw God weaving on the story of our lives.

Pause.

This is some major introspection. And it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Plus, we have started to share these things with each other, which can be scary, especially since most of the guys just met and have only seen each other through the lens of a webcam. But one of the things that Alicia wrote, I immediately wrote down in my journal.

…with tasks like these, it’s easy to spend the whole time mentally talking to yourself…”

The 7th Year – Week 2

To me, that meant that it wasn’t just about looking at myself. It was about recognizing, with the help of the Holy Spirit, the ways that God had been and continued to show up in my life.

Financial providence.

Answered prayers about the guys in my small group.

Clear direction about our next steps in ministry.

These three things kept coming up, especially as I read over my old journal. So for me, the theme that I see is God’s love and care for us despite what we do or how we feel.

Grace.

And as I shared about my life, the good and the messy, I was reminded that each of us are searching for something. But it is not an individual pursuit, instead, we want to do it with others and we earnestly hope that we end up banded together with a group of like-minded people.

We can’t forget this. I can’t forget this.

It’s this simple truth that can change everything. God is experienced best in the context of community. 

These list of videos include both old and new, extremely popular and hidden gems. Watch one, watch them all, it’s up to you! In the comments, let me know which one is your favorite and a creative video that you recommend. 

Dance Off – Elevation Church

Bowlin’ – Catalyst (Tripp and Tyler)

Gospel in 4 Minutes – Pipeline Generation

Why I Love Religion And Jesus – Spiritual Juice Studios

Christmas Brainstorming – Dirt Conference

Opener: Just Come Home – NewSpring Church

At The Moves: Web Promo – Church of the Highlands

Johnny & Chachi Intro Video #1: Mark Batterson – Echo Hub

Half of me feels like I have lived in DC for years while the other half of me feels that I’ve just been here for several months. It has been an incredible experience: learning about how Chi Alpha works in a metropolitan setting, serving at National Community Church and building relationships with students and staff alike. As I have a month left of my CMIT internship, I am beginning to process all the things I have learned and had the chance to be a part of. I am sure that I will be writing about it more but this I already know, I am so honored and humbled that I have had this opportunity!

As many of you know, I recently got back from a three day personal prayer retreat (which has been nicknamed a “pray-cation” by one of the students) and it was incredible. I am so glad that it was part of the CMIT experience! I had never experienced that much intense time of praying, studying and thinking – all in the posture of solitude! Can you imagine me not laughing and cracking jokes? It’s okay if you can’t, because I still laughed at things, but it was slightly awkward since I was the only one in the room!

We feel so affirmed and loved when people ask us about our plans after the CMIT internship. Part of the purpose of the personal prayer retreat was to get out of the mix and spend time praying and seeking God for the next steps in our lives. The more that Hannah and I have talked and prayed about what to do after the internship, we have realized how much we have fallen in love with the students, staff, culture and campus of American University. We think that God is doing something really special and we want to be a part of it. So, even though my internship is not over and I still have my final evaluation – it’s our desire to continue to serve Mike and Jen Godzwa. Nothing’s official yet, but we just wanted to let everyone know what’s going on and how we are feeling led as we pray and fast.

Please continue to pray for us as I finish up the internship, the spring semester winds down on campus and we continue to see God’s story for our lives unfold!

I thought it was too good not to share it with you! If you do happen to watch it, I would love to hear your thoughts…

After weeks of planning and several scheduling mishaps, we had our first meetup last night! The 7th Year is a “52-week spiritual formation e-journey” created by Alicia Chole and I have the opportunity to blog through the process. Our small group has decided to meet weekly over Google Hangout and even though I had never used it before, it worked out pretty well (especially since it’s free).

Last night, we took the time to introduce ourselves, talk about how we knew each other, share about our expectations and life-share. Each of these guys has made a big commitment; one hour together each week for a year as well as the time it takes to complete the reading and exercises during the week. And that’s one of the things that drew me to participate in The 7th Year –  it’s a framework for creating and sustaining community in an intense environment. 

I cannot wait to see how God works in and through us, I honestly felt like I could conquer the world and fly to the moon when I was with these guys. And as someone who tends to have issues staying connected with people that live far away, my hope is that this provides us the opportunity to invest in the lives of each other. It’s not about me teaching, it’s about us learning together and being better because of it.

 As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.

Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)

I want to take a few moments and introduce you briefly to the guys in our group, as I am sure that I will be talking about them in my weekly blog updates.

The Guys

Josh Jones (aka Jonesy) He was an intern at Family Life Church (where I completed an internship and then served on staff for two years) and is currently finishing up his undergrad in Toccoa Falls College. Fun Fact: I think he has played both Joseph and Jesus in church plays within a four year period. 

Josh Ford (aka Feezy) He was my college roommate for two years and we were both involved in Chi Alpha at the University of Alabama. Fun Fact: He puts one packet of ketchup on every chicken nugget when he eats at McDonald’s. 

Marc Afshar (aka Marky Mark) We met at Reach the U in Springfield, MO this summer and he is currently serving at UC-Davis. Fun Fact: He just dropped a single and yeah, he spit some fire! 

Ryan Thompson (aka Rye) We were also involved at Chi Alpha at the University of Alabama and he hosted and helped me lead a small group for several years. Fun Fact: He once drove nearly a thousand miles to purchase my furniture from me when I was moving to DC and he was moving to IL. 

Comment Question: What makes a small group experience memorable for you?