We ended our small groups for the summer this week. We also had a few other endings… the home we use for small groups is up for sale, so we won’t be meeting there again, one of our leaders is moving to Sacramento so she won’t be back, and many of our students are graduating. It’s kind of like our show got canceled, but we’re going to have a spinoff starting next year in a new home with some new leaders and students.
Here’s where the title of this post comes in. We used our host home for several years. During that time, I estimate hundreds of students have attended small group there. All of us have made connections with God there and had our lives improved in various ways.
In a scene kind of like the last scene in It’s A Wonderful Life, we wanted to communicate all of the great things that happened as a result of the generously opened home during the years we met there. One of our leaders, Sarah, the one who’s ditching us to move to Sacramento, (hi, Sarah – she reads this blog) – Sarah put together a great photo album/scrap book. On each page a student wrote a note to the home owners. Each note started with, “In your home, I…” and they continued writing how their lives were enhanced through their small group experience there.
The benefits:
1. The hosts were greatly encouraged (and tearful – one of my personal goals)
2. Students were required to be introspective about the change in their lives – always a win
3. Students got to feel the effects of pouring out gratitude – always a win
We presented the book to the host home at the end of the evening and shared a time of prayer and encouragement for them, our outgoing seniors and for Sarah. What a great night.
On the scale of 1-5 of things I would recommend for other youth ministries to steal from this blog, this gets the highest rank. Go and do likewise.
Thanks for reading!
Dennis
