Today's post was written b y Laine Williams who leads a women's small group at Brook Hills.

I used to think that a “small group” was just like a Bible study. I’ve been a part of numerous Bible studies over the years, even teaching several of them. But then I joined a Brook Hills small group two and a half years ago, and it’s been life changing.

I know you are thinking, “Life changing, really? Isn’t that a little dramatic?” Well, not really, because without this small group, I wouldn’t have found myself teaching the gospel in a remote village in Ecuador this past July.

Let me start at the beginning. I was a member of a women’s small group (ages ranging from mid-twenties to thirties, both married and single) for a year, and I’ve been honored to lead these ladies for the past year and a half.

[caption id="attachment_233" align="aligncenter" width="300"] This is a photo from our medical mission trip to Ecuador this past summer. From left, Kara Chism, Joy Hardy, Laine Williams, and Amber Peek.[/caption]

God quickly taught me that studying the Bible was only part of the picture. It’s studying the Word, asking hard questions, holding each other accountable, discussing theology, encouraging one other with words and Scripture, coming up with weekly applications to weave the gospel into everyday conversations, and doing missions together. In short, it really is about living life together.

Only two of us knew each other before this small group began. God brought us together for a very specific purpose. He knew this combination of life experiences and personalities would be the best formula for drawing each of us closer to Himself.

Sometimes we get off topic and talk about silly things. Sometimes we dive in really deep and end up staying late. It’s different every week. But we always read the Word, spend time in prayer, and ask questions about each other’s lives.

It’s pretty common to get texts or emails of Scripture verses during the week from each other, and it’s amazing to see how perfectly timed those messages can be. We each have a prayer partner that follows up on our individual prayer requests. Four of us have been on a mission trip to Ecuador together, and three of us have been to Peru together. We have monthly “buddies” where groups of two or three get together for dinner at least once during the assigned month. I know it sounds like a little much, but it’s really quite simple. We want to really get to know each other. No shallow “how are you?” conversations allowed!

I’m not telling you all this to brag about how amazing our group is. We are just six normal girls that love God. The point is to encourage you to get involved in a small group. God will use these people in mighty ways in your life. Think about it—getting together on a weekly basis to talk about how to make disciplines and weave the gospel into daily conversations. How could that not change your life?

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:5-6

If you would like more information about connecting to a small group at Brook Hills, contact Ashley Chesnut at achesnut@brookhills.org