Connection strategies: Social events

In the second post of this series on connecting people in your Sunday School or Life Group we will focus on Social Events.  I think good social events have a bit of an art and a science to them (see 3 Elements of great church events for more details), but there is one thing that should always be clear: church is not a social club. It is a not a place for the beautiful people, the good people, the smart people, or the cool people.  It is a place for all people, and no matter how pretty, good, smart, cool, or all-around awesome we (think) we are, we pale in comparison to the Creator of the Universe Who Sent His Own Son to Die for Us (John 1:1-10, John 3:16).  With that in mind, the focus of church social events should be glorifying God, connecting with others, and reaching out to new people.

Here are some suggestions for church social events that are fun, welcoming to newcomers, and conducive to connection:

Connection strategies: Small groups and dinner groups

This post begins what will be my last planned series on church and Sunday School / life groups for a few weeks.  I have a few other things to write about, including education, that will start to show up in future posts (see my recent post on bravery in motherhood here).

As discussed in the More than a number series, it's important to plan for growth with your leadership team.  Once you get beyond a certain number of individuals or couples, you have a few options to make room for growth.

Facing the (gi)ants

Note: The post below was inspired by the MOPs "Be You Bravely" challenge.  If you're a mom of a young child, please check out this amazing organization at www.mops.org. 

It was well past my regular bedtime as I finally crawled beneath the covers that night.  My husband was gone on another work trip, as had so often been the case since we moved to this new city for a year of training in his new job.  At the end of a long and lonely day chasing after our toddler son, I looked forward to finally snuggling under the warm blankets for a little sleep.

Just as I picked up my smartphone for one last email check before lights out, a streak of black flashed down its side. 

A caring community: Illness and loss

As last post in this series on a caring community in your Sunday School or Life Group, this post focuses on helping your group deal with serious illness and loss of a loved one.

Just as we've discussed in the other posts in this series on celebrating births and adoptions or helping with job loss and financial difficulties, being caring and consistent is important is an important goal.  However, since illness and loss can manifest in many different ways in a individual or family's life, I believe these situations often call for a degree of greater flexibility than others.

As with job loss, sometimes the path of recovery or treatment for a serious illness can be a long one.  It can also bring complications of having the one in need be "out of sight" for long periods of time.  Here are some thoughts on how to support the family or individual: