Small Groups

For the last couple of months I have been leading an 8th grade boys small group.  It has totally rocked!!! I filled in one week when the leader was gone, but do to schedule and moving, I have become their leader.  The guys are great and God is doing some neat things in our group!  Tonight we hit an attendance high with 14 from the usual 6 that we started with.  

Last week we had a professing atheist join us, and this week he came back and led one of the questions during our small group.  He still says he doesn’t believe in God but he said tonight that he was searching.  I love his honesty and truly do believe that he isn’t just saying this to get attention, but something he believes, I think because others may be afraid to talk to him, myself included at first, about spiritual things because of the way he comes across.  He comes across as uninterested and not willing to engage or listen.  It would be easy to ask then “Why does he come?”  God is teaching me a lot just in getting to know him.  Here are three things I learned tonight,

1.  All students, no matter how they look, what they believe, or why they come, need the same thing, attention and the truth shared in love.

2.  Even the hardest students will participate if given some sort of responsibility.  I saw this tonight when I asked him to lead out in one of the questions.  The question he had to ask was, “What is something new God is asking you to do?”  What a question for an professing atheist to have to ask everyone in the group!

3.  Even if they act like they aren’t listening, they more than likely are, and when they share, it is very powerful!!! 

The 8th grade guys are awesome.  I am encouraged every week by their willingness to share and the growth I see in each of them.  It reminds me every week why I work with students! 

Thanks God for letting me have the greatest job in the world!