Ray Green
Five years ago, the Lord called my wife, Linda, and me to lead a Sunday morning LIFE Group with the aim of applying Gospel truths to marriage. Group time always begins by reading from a Psalm, followed by each couple praying together using the Psalm as a guide. Part of our weekly discussion time revolves around the current marriage study we are doing, and another part focuses on the previous week’s sermon. Since the beginning, we have grown from two groups of about eight couples at each table to 13 couples in our group and 11 under the leadership of Jesse and Jennifer Karls and Mark and Linda Slaughter. This multicultural group is intergenerational as well, ranging from newly married, young parents, parents of teens, empty nesters and grandparents.
We have seen God work deeply in the lives of our members. Some of the fruit we have been blessed to witness includes:
- Marriages transformed by connecting the truths of the Gospel to the daily realities and challenges of marriage
- People new to The Orchard getting connected
- Faithful prayer for one another
- Grieving and supporting each other in times of loss
- Hosting a baby shower for a new mom
- Rejoicing with one another, including celebrating a new marriage
- Encouraging one another to rely on the power of the Gospel through tough seasons
God has truly done more than we could have asked or imagined when we first began leading five years ago. He has blessed our lives with new friends and refreshed our own love for one another. Through this LIFE Group ministry, God has used His Word and His church to bring glory to His name.