Messy Spirituality
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Biblical Equipping: God's Word in Your World
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Nuts & Bolts Issues for Small Group Leaders
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Cries of Faith, Songs of Hope: Prayers for the Times of Our Life
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Don't Sing Songs to a Heavy Heart: How to Relate to Those Who Are Suffering
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Stories about ChristCare Group Ministry in Action

From the Sidelines to the Playing Field

Doug had never been much of a churchgoer growing up, but Julie was. So when they married, he obliged her by sporadically attending worship services with her.

"I did it out of a sense of duty. For Julie. For our marriage," he said.

For a while this arrangement worked well. Doug could give Julie support and still avoid getting too involved.

Things began to change when a friend of Julie's invited the couple to join her newly formed ChristCare Group and Julie accepted. Doug wasn't too excited about this prospect, but he dutifully went along.

"I had my reservations," he admitted. "Slipping in and out of church unnoticed was fairly easy. But in a small group I'd be much more visible and would need to interact."

"Faith issues also made me uncomfortable," he continued. "I knew very little about the Bible and didn't put much stock in it anyway, so I was a little uneasy about what I might say or be expected to say. I also had this deep-down preconceived notion that all Christians were phony--they'd sit around smiling and talking about ancient stories that had no relevance today."

Doug soon discovered that the people in the ChristCare Group were anything but phony: "They were warm, caring, honest--and very accepting of me. They didn't judge me, belittle me, or try to force me to say or believe anything I wasn't ready to accept."

"When we did our Biblical Equipping, they talked about real issues, real struggles in their lives," said Doug. "They had ups and downs--just like me--but their faith in God gave them strength to endure. I began to see the Bible not as some old book, but as a message that was alive for me today. It was God's Word speaking to me in very real, very relevant ways."

"But what was most amazing for me was the praying. The people in my group didn't use flowery language like I had expected. They were talking with God--really conversing--about their personal needs and concerns."

"As the weeks went on I began to feel God's presence among us," Doug went on. "I found myself looking forward to our prayer and worship time most of all, even though for the longest time I never joined in. Prayer time energized me and filled me with a great sense of peace."

His growth within the group led Doug from being a sideline churchgoer to being a man of faith in action. Today he is deeply involved in the congregation, using his gifts for business management in his role as vice president of the congregation. Sometimes he leads the entire congregation in prayer--without any hesitation.

"My involvement in a ChristCare Group played an important part in my growth as a Christian," Doug says. "I am what I am today largely because of the love I experienced--from God and from my fellow group members--in my ChristCare Group.

"When Julie asked me to go the first time, I said, 'Yes, dear,' just to make her happy. Now I look back and see it as a turning point in my life. I thank God for putting Julie--and my ChristCare Group--into my life."