Hi everyone! If you haven’t met me yet my name is Will Regier and I am the new Pastor of Connection and Care here at Grace! My wife Steph and our two kiddos Isabella and Malachi just moved here a few weeks ago from Michigan. We have been enjoying getting to know many of you and the almost Michigan-like summer temperatures. Thanks also for the meals, the handshakes, the hugs, and the help moving! We know there are plenty more of you to meet and we are very much looking forward to doing so.
One of the things I am most excited about in my role at Grace is the Community Life Groups ministry. Much of my drive to work with the Community Life Groups come from our story as a family. We have faced many health challenges, spending four of our first five anniversaries in hospitals, when things seemed darkest, often the greatest light was the Christian Community we had in our lives. Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his book Life Together says,
“The prisoner, the sick person, the Christian in exile see in the companionship of a fellow Christian a physical sign of the gracious presence of the triune God. Visitor and visited in loneliness recognize in each other the Christ who is present in the body; they receive and meet each other as one meets the Lord, in reverence, humility, and joy… But if there is so much blessing and joy even in a single encounter of brother to brother, how inexhaustible are the riches that open up for those who by God’s will are privileged to live in the daily fellowship of life with other Christians!”
I can echo those words in the life of my family! By God’s grace, we are now much more healthy but I pray that we never lose the joy of good Christian Community we learned in those darker days. If we have been in a small group with you then you have been part of that testimony in our lives. I am so excited about pouring my time and energy into this ministry at our church because I know firsthand how much of a difference it can make, and I know from the wisdom of the church and my mentors how important it is for the everyday life and health of the body of Christ.
One thing we will always need is people who are willing to lead Community Life groups. I want to dispel some myths for you if you have ever been hesitant to lead a small group. You do not need the perfect house, be able to give a perfect lesson, have perfect children to watch other people’s children, and be able to make the perfect baked goods. Hospitality is important and so is being able to keep a discussion within boundaries but primarily it is about the willingness to join in life honestly with other people who love Jesus, to connect over the most important thing we share; not over whether our interior decorator is Joanna Gaines or our 3yr old and his Hot Wheels. Please, if you know someone who you think would lead a Community Life group well or if you feel God tugging on your heart to lead one, reach out to me! We have training throughout the year and we can pair you with an experienced leader to get some practice in. Look forward to GroupLink, August 22nd which is our 2021 launch of groups for the year.
I will leave you with some parting words again from Bonhoeffer in Life Together,
“Therefore, let him who until now has had the privilege of living a common Christian life with other Christians praise God’s grace from the bottom of his heart. Let him thank God on his knees and declare: It is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed to live in community with Christian brethren.”