"W" #14: Sharing the Shout-Outs

Contributed by:
Eric Dunaway
small groups pastor

Have you ever been moved by a story? Amanda and I watched the movie Secretariat the other night, and we were inspired. I mean, I've never cared much about race horses, but now I want to be one! It was that inspiring! But seriously, there's just something about that story--in which a house wife is forced to take bold business risks in a time and industry dominated by men, placing her family's future on a horse that was passed over by the experts--that inspires us to follow our hopes and dreams. And part of what makes that story so powerful is that it's true.


For a long time we were scratching our heads on the best way to inspire people to take bold and risky steps toward community in a life group. We've tried virtually everything: website, brochures, funny videos, bulletin inserts, and even Facebook. All of them have their place, but we're starting to realize that the best and most powerful methods for promoting our life groups aren't wrapped up in neatly designed brochures and multimedia, but in stories; simple, honest, true stories. The reality is that stories from real people with real experiences have more impact than anything else. Stories have the power to reach deep within us, and connect with our innermost hopes, dreams, and fears. Stories can quiet our fears, breakdown misconceptions, and embolden us to take new steps - even into uncharted territory.

That's why we believe a real win for our groups is when they step up to share the stories of community that are happening right in their midst from week to week. When a couple is willing to tell about their experience in a life group, or when an individual shares their experience at GroupLaunch, or when an entire group shares what God has done through their times together, those become stories that will encourage, inspire, and embolden others within our body to pursue connection with a life group.

When groups like yours, and group members like you, give a shout-out to what life groups have done for them, that's a huge win - and we celebrate that. Just think - your story could be the exact thing that someone in our church needs to hear before they'll give groups a try. We'd love to capture that story and share it with others.

Here are just a couple of examples of stories we've captured to encourage others to consider life groups. We'd love to capture yours, too.






PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO POST A COMMENT WITH YOUR STORY OF SOMETHING GOD IS DOING IN YOUR GROUP; OR JUST SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE IN A LIFE GROUP. You never know how it will impact someone as they read it.