The Gospel story of Peter and the disciples scrambling as they’re boats were sinking and nets ripping because of the fish they had caught is one that I have read and heard preached many times. And yet, this morning as I read it, my eyes saw it in a completely different light.“Master, we worked hard all last night and we did not catch a thing. But if you say so… Earlier this year we began working on a project to transition a leadership team here at our church, Camino de Vida, from teaching a curriculum in a classroom setting to leading small groups in their homes. At the time we began this endeavor our reach with this particular ministry was a once a week event in one location that had a maximum capacity of 185 participants. It wasn’t that we weren’t pleased with the fruit we were seeing, it’s just our pastor had on his heart making things more accesible to others who needed to be a part of this conversation.So we worked hard. Initially the changes we began making netted us a loss of some pretty dynamic and key leaders who left because of the changes. There were times it looked like the boat was getting lighter.“But if you say so…”
Last night we had the small group my wife and I our leading in our living room. 8 wonderful couples who returned for the second week to continue talking about our identity in Christ and his desire for us to live in the freedom his life has provided for us. At the end we had everyone pair up with another couple to pray for one another. And to hear the prayer the couple prayed with us was such a reward. “Lord, thank you for hearing those prayers I so desperately prayed for us to find a place where we could understand your Word and meet others who love you.” Their eyes were filled with tears. And so were ours.
Since making the transition last week to a new format of small groups, we have blown open our Camino en Libertad (Way of Freedom) ministry from one weekly event in one location for 185 – to a small group network of 36 groups in 9 cities with 6 different days to choose from! We had hoped to at least reach 185 people the first time around, so we were blown away when we had 236 people commit to a group. And now I see how the disciples felt when the nets started ripping and the boats began to sink since we have 310 people actively participating in these small groups.
Luke 5:7 “A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.”
This is our shout for HELP! Will you please join us in praying for our small groups leaders and their assistants? 78 of the bravest people you’ll meet who have taken a big step of faith in being used of God. And pray for the 310 people God has invited along in this journey to see, through his word, just how amazing and freeing it is to walk with him.
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