My husband, Josh and I wanted to find a home church. We didn’t expect to spend a year and a half looking. We both had only had one pastor growing up; mine was my Granddad, and Josh’s was his Dad. Our standards were set pretty high for that reason alone. Who could compare to family? We both come from families that have a well-known legacy and cherished the feeling of being completely comfortable in a congregation. We are proud of where we come from and carry the Langley and Moody names with great honor, but we are also our own people.  In our new church home we wanted to be known as Josh and Morgan Moody. 

In the beginning, the thing we craved the most was the very thing that scared me when walking into Calvary’s doors. Would I know anybody? Would anybody talk to us? God kicked that fear to the side very quickly and brought many people to us. Relationships began to form, but they still lacked the intimacy we hoped to find. I knew that intimacy would come from a life group.

However, this is where our expectations differed. In college, I had incredible discipleship leaders and experienced exactly what a life group should be. Even now I keep in contact with the lady who poured into my life like I was her own. I was also privileged to have a couple who opened their doors and made sure that we, as college students, had a second family away from home. I remember one evening in college when I was wrestling with what God wanted me to do in a particular situation. I was walking the sidewalks on campus and pleading with God. Since I am an ugly crier and my face turns really red, it is pretty obvious when something is wrong.  As I was walking, I passed Eddie, my mentor’s husband. He asked if I was okay.  In order to quickly get away, I just said, “Yeah,” as fast as I could. In thirty seconds, he had called his wife, Missy, and by the time I was passing their house on campus, she was sitting on the steps waiting for me to pass by. This is what true discipleship looks like, to be willing at any moment to direct someone to God’s word or to simply pray with him or her. When I graduated college and got married, I continued to crave this intimacy with people my age.  I simply wanted to be surrounded by people who were in a similar stage in life as we were and could be part of the village we could rely on as we focused on Christ.

As we sat in church last summer and heard the announcement about life groups forming, my heart began to pound from excitement. This was just what we needed! Just as quickly, my heart fell. I knew Josh would not want anything to do with a home group. His experience was completely opposite of mine. He had experienced groups that were centered on arguing about what was going wrong in the church and catching up on the latest gossip about who, what, where and when in the congregation. This left Josh with a bitter taste in his mouth and disillusioned about what life groups could be. I wanted to be the submissive wife and follow his direction, but I also knew this was what we needed. To my surprise, he agreed to try it out for one season. Two days later, Brandon called and asked if we would be leaders of a life group. When Josh shared Brandon’s request, I laughed, knowing that this was God’s sense of humor on display. We agreed to be leaders and could never have envisioned all the blessings we would receive by accepting that position.

Our group was made up of mostly college age students and young couples. We became a family and a village. Most Wednesday nights, people would still be at our house when the clock hit 9:30.  They felt comfortable and this was their home.  When Josh would travel, they would stay and make sure our house was picked up and would always make sure my trash was taken out. One of the sweetest outcomes of our time together came from watching our daughter, Paisley, and her friend Brooklynne participate with our group. By the end of this season they both understood what it meant to pray. They saw their mommas, daddies, and friends pray weekly together. During this season, I found the intimacy I longed for and Josh realized that life groups aren’t such a bad idea.

If you have never tried a life group, please prayerfully consider joining one. You never know what blessings or relationships you may be missing. Keep an open mind. We have all been the newbie and realize the discomfort it can bring. We will love on you! If you are a seasoned life group member, remember the anxious nerves you felt walking in the first few times.  Love on the newcomers and make them feel like they have been there all along.  Together we can encourage each other and guide each other. Speak with love and use God’s word to guide you as we do life together.