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One of my favorite movie trilogies is The Lord of the Rings. (The book is even better). Ultimately what draws me to it is that at the heart of it, it is a story about a group of friends who go on a journey together, a journey where they experience real hardships and real victories and grow closer together and grow as individuals as well. Some were friends for a long time before being in the group; some were new. They learned to trust one another, to rely on one another, to be there for one another and to support one another. At the end, they are all changed by the experiences they had gone through with new perspectives and real growth in character and strength. By the end, they had experienced a greater love and dedication to others that they had never experienced before, and they were all the better for it.  

I think that is why I love Small Groups as well. It may take a little time, but soon the group begins to develop real relationships as they learn to trust one another and be real about their lives and their understanding of God and what it means to really know Him no matter where they are on their journey. It never ceases to amaze me about how God works in Small Groups through the conversations, prayer and study. It is like He is opening eyes in our hearts to see and experience His work in ourselves and others. Small Groups are so important in our walk with Jesus.  

Stacey and I first started being part of a Small Group soon after we were married. We were invited by a couple we knew, and that was all we knew at the start. It didn’t take too long before we had some new, close, trusted friends who shared our love for Christ and a desire to know and walk with Him in greater ways. We had a lot of fun in that group too with game nights and shared meals. We laughed a lot. We opened our Bibles and were able to be who we were with authenticity and transparency. Others knew the Bible better than we did, but we never felt less than or judged. That helped a lot. It was a gift from God to get to know these people.  

Over the years, we have been in many Small Groups, and each one was different, and each one was helpful and life giving. We’ve gotten to know a lot of people and learned from them and what God was doing in their lives. We’ve been able to be part of some really big life decisions and challenges in the lives of people in the groups. We’ve seen a lot of really great things too, great victories and wonderful things as people welcome new babies, get married, start new jobs, find new joys. We are never quite sure what to expect when we start a new group; we just trust that God is going to work, and He always does. 

This season of Small Groups at Bridges, we have 5 different groups meeting at different places and times during the week.   
Some are sermon based so you can talk through how to live out what God is teaching you in a supportive and encouraging environment.  

One study is for women and is a study of the book of James, an immensely practical and challenging book. Part of this study will be learning how to really dig into the Word to be able to better hear from God and to discover Biblical truths that are transforming.  

The third option is Rooted, a great study for those who are new to groups or who want to have a closer relationship with God by developing seven rhythms for a daily walk with Jesus. We want everyone at Bridges to go through Rooted at some point. It is that good.

You can find all the groups and sign up through the link below.

At Bridges, we want everyone to be part of a Small Group. It is that important to becoming all that God has called us to be. We all need others to help us on that journey ,and that is why we value groups so much.  

Let us know if you have any questions about Small Groups or need help signing up, whatever we can do to help.

Here is the link: SMALL GROUP SIGN UPS