Day 27: Empowering Those Around Us. Discipleship and community are so important. That is something that we have seen time and time again throughout this challenge. We need other believers for support, for encouragement, for accountability, and for other perspectives/ideas. That’s what this challenge is all about. At the church I attend, one of our core values is: Live in community with a spirit of unity. I think that paints a beautiful picture of the church and ideally of these three-thirds study groups.
Last year, I actually started a three-thirds study group, well sort of. I wanted to start a bible study at work (bear in mind, this was a new job where I really knew only one person). I asked some of the girls that I had met and we began meeting together once a week before work. I didn’t follow the three-thirds format completely (many times I left out the application part…it’s hard to do accountability with people you don’t know, but I wish I would have included it), but it was so nice to be able to meet together and pray for our work place and study the bible together.
Today I made a list of people who I would like to invite to a three-thirds study group, however, I decided not to set it up at this time because I know that my life/schedule is about to change drastically (as are the lives of many of the people on my list). I work for the school district and school gets out in 2 weeks. During the month of June I am planning to be out of town 3 of 4 weeks, so in the interest of starting a group that I will actually be able to attend, I am planning to contact them and set up a time to meet in July. I have been yearning for a discipleship group of women that I can be a part of. Our church has a women’s ministry that meets, but it is at a time I am unable to attend, so I feel that this would be a perfect opportunity to put together a group of women to do life together and study the bible together. Just to make the commitment a little more real, I am putting a reminder in my phone to contact these people and get this three-thirds group set up. I am really excited about starting this group and because I anticipated that this would be a part of the study, have been praying about the people I would ask for a while.
Prayed just now for your July, Nicole. : )