[Onebrother] Community Group

[Inez Cobb]

Well let me be Mrs. enthusiasm, because I am REALLY excited about the
group starting. Leonard and I have never been in a long term community
group. I have attended a few women's things and Leonard did attend a
men's group last year at Vista, which he really enjoyed. But we have
never been really committed to a community group. Looking so forward to
that and to studding God's word with the group.
Thank you  Heath for leading us all in this.

I will bring banana bread Sunday night.

>>> "B. Heath Robinson" <heath at midnighthour.org> 3/22/2011 7:56 AM >>>
Never having been accused of being "Mr. Enthusiasm" I won't lie and say
"I'm really excited to start our community groups."  However, Courtney
and I have not been out of a group for more than a month or so in the
past 5 years.  It has become an integral part of our spiritual lives and
in reality our lives in general.  Is that redundant?  We feel the need
to be back in a community group.  No doubt Courtney is ready for some
guys to set me straight here and there.  I have missed the weekly
fellowship and discussion centered around God's word and its teaching. 
To me, it is REALLY important.

Goal
My goal is that you will begin to feel this as well.  It is not so much
that God made us for community but that for God reality is community. 
He is Trinity.  We, being in his likeness, are living outside of reality
if we are trying to live the Bible's version of the good life without
community.  If you have ever avoided community, as I have, it is almost
sure to because of…well…me.  That is, you have avoided it because there
is a sinner who is the leader or the loudmouth or the person who never
opens up or the person who doesn't live up to their responsibilities or
the person who thinks they are better than everyone.  We are going to
have to cling to the Gospel if we are going to live out God's kingdom
here with the sinners in our group.

Study
Thankfully, our study is going to run us smack dab into the Gospel.  We
are going to be following Tim Keller's exposition of the story of the
"Prodigal Son".  It is in Book, video, and study guide form.  Our nights
will look something like the schedule below.  Having the book and study
guide will be helpful to you as we progress.  Pick them up at church
this Sunday if you can.  There is no need to read for the first week.

Schedule
Arrive - 5:00
Study - 5:00-6:00
Dinner - 6:00-7:00

Dinner
We will being eating together whenever possible for the next eight
weeks.  Courtney will most likely be coordinating this if she can't pawn
it off on someone more organized, which probably includes you.

This week Courtney is bringing a breakfast casserole and Marla is
bringing fruit salad.  Bring something breakfast oriented (e.g. muffins,
bagels, juice).  Please reply to all with your item.  Courtney will
probably pick it up from here.

Timeline
We will be meeting together for the next eight weeks.  Week four and
eight will be parties, but I'll try to find some way of making them
productive. :-)

Location
The first four weeks we will meet at Jason and Marla Smiths.  They live
at 6221 Turtle Creek Trail in Temple.  I'll let Marla fill in any
further directions.

Email
We will use this listserv to communicate.  If you email the
onebrother at midnighthour.org address, it will go to everyone in the
group.  Feel free to share thoughts, prayer requests, etc throughout the
week.  Hopefully you will see the significance of the name as we move
through the book.

As you can see, I can be a bit verbose.  Someone will have to watch the
clock for me, but I have bolded headings for those that like to skip to
the "important" parts.


Peace,
Heath