Stepping Out: Part 1

Contributed by:
Eric Dunaway
small groups pastor

Well, this is somewhat of an unusual post for my blog. Usually, I try to write something that will bring depth to a concept, or provide practical insight to another concept. Occasionally I'll even post something that links to another blog that's loaded with even more depth and insight. This post, on the other hand - or possibly even a series of posts - will be more of a chronicle of sorts that records some our thoughts and experiences as Amanda and I attempt to step outside of our comfort zones a little.


For the past several weeks, we've been urging people to step up as hosts for Life on Purpose groups. In fact, with that challenge we've been telling people to reach out to their friends, neighbors, co-workers, teammates, classmates, relatives, and so on. How cool would it be to see people meeting in our groups who don't even attend Pathway? That's all part of the idea.

Well, as we anticipated moving into this campaign, I began to feel a sense that Amanda and I should practice what we preach, if you will. We have a group that we've been meeting with at PCC for almost two years, now... and we love our group! We've developed some life-long friendships with people that we can be real with, and we love that! But the more we talked about the concept of this campaign, the more I began to realize the opportunity we have for ministry right next door... or across the street... or a few houses down.

We live in a northeast neighborhood surrounded by people who don't attend Pathway - some of them don't attend church at all. We've lived here for four years, and I'm ashamed to say that I haven't invited any of them to church even once! My wife has... but I haven't. And this thought began to develop in my mind: "Why not host your own group specifically for your neighbors, Eric?" My response: "Shut up, me."

Here's the thing. This is completely outside of my comfort zone - Amanda's, too. We don't necessarily mind hosting a group in our home. We had done that for years when we were newly married, and we've done it many times since. In fact, we love having people over. What takes us a little outside our comfort zone, however, is the idea of approaching a neighbor - some of whom we've only just met - and inviting them to join a Bible study in our home. What's more, the thought of having people in our home who we barely know is also a little unsettling for us. But, as the book says, it's not about me... and it's time to put feet to this conviction.

A few weeks ago, we met with our existing group and told them that we were planning to step out of our group for six weeks to host a group of our own in our neighborhood. Last week I registered that group, and we already have a new member! That was actually the easy part... but now it gets a little more challenging.

Tonight I brought home the invitation cards for Life on Purpose. I was quickly told that I couldn't fill them out, because my handwriting is, apparently, illegible. So Amanda filled them out with our names, address, and information on the group meetings. Our next step: Approach the families, give them their card, and invite them to join us for a six-week Bible study in our home.

I'll be honest - I'm excited, but I'm a little nervous. As I've already said, I'm stepping a bit outside the comfort zone with this. We're excited to see what God will do through this group. But the hesitation comes from our own self-centered fears. As I said, we'll potentially have some people join our group that we've never met before, or barely know at all. And we're asking all the cliche questions, like, "What if they don't like us?" "What if we don't like them?" "What if they don't laugh at my jokes?" "What if they smell funny?" "What if they won't leave?"

And I keep reminding myself of the fact that this is what it's all about. We're opening ourselves up a little bit, and putting ourselves out there. It's unpredictable, a little awkward, and could be a little messy. But the payoff could be huge. We could launch a group that will open the door for new families to attend church for the first time. We could form a group that will bond so quickly and so tightly that they'll continue meeting and growing together for years to come. We could even see families begin to understand their life purpose for the first time as a result of this study we work through together. And the only way we can get there is to accept the risk, put ourselves out there, and anticipate God to move in spite of our own personal discomfort.

So... we'll see what happens. More on this later.