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One of the core teachings of the Bible is that we are to bond together with other believers. These stories describe how those bonds have resulted in a sense of community and faith that cannot be experienced individually.
We encourage you to submit stories of how you have seen God working. Please send the story in an email to Carol Rettew. We will review the story and reserve the right to make editorial changes, if necessary, should it be selected for publishing. Thank you!
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The Witmans, Smiths, Mautzes, McKinnies, Kinats, Gashes, and Helen Cake
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Last month Dick Cake went to be with our Lord. Our small group will miss him dearly. Dick and Helen have been our role models on how to be a godly couple growing old in the grace and knowledge of our Lord. They taught us that God’s people never retire. Even in death, Dick taught us about making choices in light of eternity. Dick and Helen made the decision to forego dialysis treatment for Dick, confident that “to die is gain”. Dick’s confidence and peace is something we will never forget. They have been an important part of our small group family and of the lives of our children.
At the same time, we have been important to them. When they gave up driving and moved into Westlake Village, the Witmans drove them to the grocery store every week. The Smiths picked them up for church every week. The McKinnies did the airport runs. We all helped out. That is all part of Koinonia (the biblical word for fellowship). We have helped each other through cancer, the death of a child, job loss, divorce, and every family crisis you can imagine.
We started out as couples from different life stages, and became a large extended family with children, grandchildren and even some great grandchildren.
Interestingly, the focus of our small group has never been fellowship, support or service. We have met every Sunday evening for 20+ years to study God’s Word. The fellowship and support have flowed naturally out of our growth in understanding who God is and what He has done for us, both in the sacrificial death of His Son, and in enabling us to believe in Him. The more we have grown in our understanding of God’s Word, the easier it is to walk through the trials of life, and to live in service to Him.
A weekly commitment to a small group was daunting when we first started. For many of us it meant finding a baby sitter every week. However, out of that commitment has grown love for each other, for our families and more importantly, for the Lord. If you are not part of a small group, we would heartily recommend starting one, the benefits are eternal.
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Bernie and Nanci Melster
Homeys: Ashbrooks, Dudas, McNeelys, Melsters, Ruddens, Theobalds, Urams
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Our small group has been together for several years. Our time together gives us a chance to go deeper into God’s Word while enabling us to grow in our relationships with each other. Sometimes this is through a planned Bible study and other times it is being there through the night when someone simply needs to be surrounded with love and acceptance.
We tried many different nights and times before we finally found Tuesday night to be the best time for our group. Our time together is a priority and life is now scheduled around Tuesday. We have grown closer together as a group as we pursue learning more about the Lord together. Our group has become family and we truly rely on each other. We share joys and sorrows, trials and triumphs together. Even when there are times we might feel too tired or overwhelmed to go, our children enjoy their time together so much they will drag us there. We are grateful for that and it’s nice to know our kids also share in the blessings of a small group. At times Home Group feels more like a break than one more thing to do. It’s about making the time for the important things in our lives. God has brought us together with our many unique gifts, quirky personalities and crazy schedules and the whole group has been richly blessed by this. Our group thrives because Christ is at the center! We have learned that as long as we stay Christ centered, everything else seems to fall right into place. John15:4 (NIV)
Another part of our group life is serving our church and community together. We’ve helped with moving day, held garage sales together, we’ve been camping and have been there to help when tragedy has struck and challenges have come up. We have celebrated new lives in Christ together, we have shared tears of joy and tears of incredible sadness as we lost a very dear friend this past year. We’ve celebrated some of life’s moments and at other times have buckled down in non stop prayer for each other and our church. We’ve shared silly moments and relentless emails. We’ve had times where we dropped everything to be there for one another.
We call ourselves affectionately, The Homeys. Home group, Small Group, K Group, Homey’s...it doesn’t really matter what the name is, what matters is that the Lord has brought us together and we look forward to what His plans are on this journey for us as brothers and sisters in Christ. Romans 12:10 (NIV)
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Stillness.
It’s different.
It makes us aware of existence. I find it in strange places. Like when you’ve been on the road for a long drive, the drone of the engine filling every moment. You finally pull into your own driveway, put the car into park and turn off the ignition.
Silence.
Stillness.
It’s different.
Recently, I’ve found another type of stillness…with people. I’m not talking about most of my day. You know the constant barrage of demands, fast-food window interactions, and a steady flow of “How are you?”, “Good, thanks.” I’m talking about connection with a group of believers. My wife and I recently hosted a small group at our house for a month. We ate together, watched a short teaching video on relationships and then just talked about our marriages, our spiritual lives, God, and favorite spousal quirks. Doesn’t sound like stillness, I know. But it was. I felt like I could finally hear the beat of my life’s pulse. I could hear the reality that other people deal with the same struggles, that other people had found hope in God changing them. It was like I could finally see through all the noise to where I wanted my life to go. When does this kind of stuff happen in “regular” life? It doesn’t. The noise is too loud for such “unproductive” activity. I guess my wife and I have decided that we’re going to fight the noise and make time, as challenging as that is with two small children. We’re planning to get our group together again for Lent. We need time for people and consistent time with brothers and sisters in Christ. We need more silence, more stillness, even if we find it in strange places.
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A small group is not a Bible study…although you do study Scripture. It’s not a social group…although members often become good friends! It is not a support group…or a service group…or an encounter group. It is, simply, the most direct way to understand and share the Christian life. Here is what each of us in our group has to say about our unique bond:
Craig Astler: This is the place where we truly are in Christian witness to each other. It’s Christianity 101 and God’s graduate school, all rolled up in one!
Barb Parker: Small group is a unique combination of people gathered together only by God’s hand. We are acquaintances, friends and comforters, all in one package.
Joyce Dellasantina: When I moved to Bay Village six years ago and joined Bay Presbyterian Church, I knew it was a Christ-Centered church. When I wanted to meet God-loving people I joined a small group. They have become my extended family.
Carl Emerson: I joined the small group, at first, to quiet my wife. I mean, my religious stuff is my business, right? Well at 58 1/2 years, it's great to learn how dumb one can be. I have come to enjoy learning about the Bible. We laugh, we cry, we eat, we care.
Jamie Emerson: After injuring my elbow a few years ago and experiencing an outpouring of love and concern, I was led to join a small group. My experience has been very good. Our group is just like a family, as we care about each other and are part of each other's lives.
Louanne Johnson: Bay Pres can be a lonely place because it is so big. It’s comforting to know there is a group of people who care about you and are praying for you. I like the fact that during our discussions, we feel free enough to challenge one another and that helps to strengthen our faith.
Tim Lehota: Small group has been very meaningful. I’ve gained new insight into the Bible as well as learning more about different religions. But more important, it’s nice to be a part of a group of fellow believers who care and are willing to help me and listen to what I say.
Peggy Shaw: My job is very stressful, and this year is going to be hard because my parents are dying. Our children have grown and moved away and I miss them. The people I work with are great but those friendships come and go. My small group friends are a permanent part of my life.
Stan Shaw: I have always been a believer, but I have had problems with organized church. Our small group has helped me realize I can't be a Christian alone. It’s helped me deepen my faith and to grow as a Christian. I have been able to formally join the church. I come from a small family and the group has in many ways become an extended family to me.
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Metamorphosis
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Early in the new millennium Chris and Robin Sommers started a 20-something small group. The group began with a bunch of single people meeting together to study the Bible. Fellowship and friendship resulted from the weekly meetings. As our name “Metamorphosis” implies, the group has gone through many changes. Along the way, many of the people who were in the group initially have gotten married and moved on to other ministries.
The members of Metamorphosis continue to meet weekly for Bible Study, prayer, and fellowship. We openly encourage people in their twenties and thirties to join us. The group also welcomes those that are in a transient phase in their life. Recently we have had people from Michigan, Missouri, and California join us as their adventure took them through Cleveland. While the group has gone through many changes, the one thing that has not changed are the friendships that have been formed.
The members of Metamorphosis enjoy reaching out to others and the greater Cleveland community. We volunteer to help out with IHN (Interfaith Hospitality Network) each time the program come to BPC. Our members have also enjoyed prayer walks through downtown Cleveland during which basic necessities were provided to people that were homeless.
The dictionary definition of metamorphosis is a profound change in form from one stage to the next in the life history of an organism. We chose Metamorphosis as our name because people in our age group go through many changes. We also know that the presence of God in our lives brings changes as well. Romans 2:12a states “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
This is God’s transforming power that we all hope and pray for. Jesus rocks!
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