My wife and I drive nearly 40 minutes to attend church. We pass a lot of good houses of worship on the way. But for us, it’s worth the drive. Our church is just that … our church. It’s home. It’s family. It’s a place where we belong.
But we haven’t always felt that way. Our church is a roughly 1000-member, fairly rapidly growing one in Denver. While it consists of people from all age groups, most of our congregation is composed of those in their twenties and thirties. My wife and I have kids that age. While we loved (still do) the preaching and the worship, due to the disparity in age, we felt more like spectators than part of something. We were the “old codgers” among a sea of young people.
Before we started looking elsewhere for a church, I scheduled coffee with my pastor. Over java, I poured out our feelings of being the proverbial fifth wheel, and I blamed myself for not meeting more people. Rather than agree with me (which he probably did), my pastor asked if I’d be willing to head up a small group of folks our age if he put it together. I loved the idea. And the rest, as they say, is history. Within a few short weeks, we were part of a small group with people we’d never met—most of whom were in the same stage of life as ourselves.
That was three years ago and we still meet regularly. These folks have become fast friends. We care about them. They care about us. We’ve grown in Christ together. We’ve rejoiced with each other through some great times like the births of several grandchildren. We’ve gone through some difficult ones as well. We’ve shared meals. We’ve prayed a lot for each other’s families and specific needs. I know our lives would be less rich if three years ago, when my pastor made the small group suggestion, I would have responded, “No, I don’t think we’d be interested!”
Perhaps right now, you can relate. You love your church. But you could sure use a little more fellowship. Well, I can’t help you out much if you’re in my demographic (unless you live near Denver) or if you’re a teenager, but if you’re single and between the ages of 18-39, I have something for you. Our Boundless ministry is hosting its very first event this summer. They’re calling it Pursuit 2014 and it’ll be right here on Focus on the Family’s campus, in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, Aug. 7-9.
It’s not a small group by any means. But it has a small group kinda vibe going for it. Here’s how they describe it:
…part conference, part meet-up, part adventure and all awesomeness. It’ll be an unforgettable weekend of teaching, worship, mingling and more. Meet hundreds of like-minded singles from around the world as well as Boundless contributors past and present. Learn from some of today’s best experts on relationships, life and faith. Hang out in the shadow of the majestic Rocky Mountains. Relax, recharge and be inspired to maximize the season you’re in while preparing for the one to come!
When I was single I would have loved something like this! But let me back up a bit. Most likely, you’re already aware of Boundless.org, but just in case you’re not, Boundless is an award-winning ministry of Focus on the Family with the goal of helping young adults grow up, own their faith, date with purpose and prepare for marriage and family. Through articles, a group blog, a weekly podcast and the power of community, they challenge 20- and 30-somethings to reject society’s low expectations and live biblically and intentionally in all things, including relationships.
I especially like Boundless’ emphasis on the need to “reject society’s low expectations.” As I mentioned, I have two children in that age bracket, and I’ve seen many of their peers buy into the “demise of guys” mindset or choose me-worship as their religion of preference (with its various poor decisions based on “Why-should-I-let-God-be-part-of-my-life-in-this-area?”). So it’s incredibly encouraging that there are young singles who want to buck this trend and live counter-culturally for the Lord, many of whom will be gathering this summer a mere hundred yards or so from where I’m typing this blog.
If this sounds like you, or you wish it was you (or you know someone who’s in this demographic who could use a spiritual-boost), click here. There you’ll find out more details about Boundless and their Pursuit 2014 event, including who’ll be speaking and how to register.
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