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I have lived in Williamson County for over 45 years.  Our three sons were raised here and went through school here.  Actually, we moved to Brentwood because it was the cheapest place in the Nashville area to live in 1972!  Life has certainly changed over time.
My husband Tom coached Brentwood Youth Baseball for 22 years, as well as Youth Football for several years.  He always coached the 11-12-year-old boys.  It was his passion.  He loved that age, because he could teach them anything about the sport, no matter how difficult, and nothing was too hard for them.  He told them they could do it, and they believed him!  The boys loved the process of learning and growing and showed remarkable improvement during the season.  We should all enjoy learning as much as those boys did.
As I have been visiting various Sunday morning LIFE Groups, I have been very impressed with the way these groups relish the learning.  The teachers do their homework and come prepared to teach additional information to the class about the scriptures they are studying.  It may be the background of the people, the traditions of that time, or the references to the study in other parts of the Bible.  I am a natural note-taker, and I have come away with notes from every class that show the leaders care – about the Word of God and about His people.
Want to make disciples?  Then, remember to keep learning and be a leader your group believes in.  It makes all the difference!
If I have not visited your LIFE Group yet, I will.  And if I take notes, it’s not because I’m spying on your class; it’s because I’m enjoying your class!
Thank you for honoring God through your service.  We appreciate you!
 

At the BACE Conference last week, Tom McCormick, Small Groups Minister at Hope Church in Las Vegas, NV, made the simple but profound point that the group meeting time does not equal the totality of the group. I was convicted that I don’t always talk that way when I talk to our people about LIFE Groups. I generally emphasize the meeting time, something like: LIFE Group X meets at 9:30 on Sunday morning . . . and, oh yeah, they do lots of activities outside of that meeting time too!
What if it were just natural for me to talk about the LIFE Group as a family community that impacted each other’s lives through prayer, breaking bread, and fellowship? Not to mention that we disciple each other according to the Apostle’s teaching as we help each other more fully believe and follow Jesus, be changed by Jesus, and live on mission with Jesus.
What if we began to talk about LIFE Groups and live out our LIFE groups the other way around? Hey, LIFE Group X gathers throughout the week to share meals, support one another, and reflect together about what the Lord is teaching them through prayer and Bible study . . . and, oh yeah, they also gather at 9:30 on Sunday mornings.
Join me in praying for those kinds of groups families.

Paul Wilkinson is the Adult Minister–Groups Associate, Brentwood Baptist Church. Paul attended the 2018 BACE (Baptist Association of Christian Educators) Conference last week in Oklahoma City on Discovering and Developing Leaders.