Small Groups are gatherings of 10-14 people who get together at a home for the purpose of getting to know one another a little better and some discussion surrounding the previous Sunday’s message. You won’t have to pray and you won’t have to join in the discussion unless you want to. You can even visit different groups and see if one is a better fit than another.

Why come to a Small Group? You’ll get acquainted with a few people in the large worship gatherings, but you’ll never really connect with others until you connect with a small group. Many individuals would tell you that they have made life long friends in small group. Small Group is also a source of great support and understanding and help in difficult times. Consider taking another step into community.

Small Groups are currently meeting. The times and locations are listed below. Email Daniel DeWitt if you’re interested in one of the following groups or just show up. Note: Small groups do not typically meet on the last week of the month. Be sure to check with your group leader to see if your group is meeting.

Mondays at 7:00pm- Stepp Small Group. For anyone to join. Meets at the Reynolds’ apartment at 122 Huron St in Decatur.

Tuesdays at 7:30pm- DeWitt Small Group. For anyone to join. Meets at the DeWitts’ house at 2565 Ball Park Drive in Tucker.

Tuesdays at 7:30pm- Slagle Small Group. For women to join. Meets at the Slagle house at 590 N. Superior Ave. Decatur, GA

Wednesdays at 7:30- Lineberry Small Group. For anyone to join. Meets at the Lineberrys’ house at 2449 Harrington Dr in Decatur.

Last Thursday of every month at 7:30- Lineberry/Slye Discussion Group. Will meet at a local pub TBD for discussion of current issues.

The gospel is the power of God for salvation. Nothing will alter your life more than dwelling on the richness of the gospel. It has happened to me; it’s happened to our church; it will happen to you. In light of that, I’ve got a challenge for you to complete as a follow-up to this book. Every day for the next forty days, will you (a) pray the four parts of The Gospel Prayer, and (b) read three chapters of the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? Why? I want you to saturate yourself in the gospel every day. The most gospel-centered books ever written are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. You’ll find Jesus there. Dwell with Him in the Gospels for forty days, and let The Gospel Prayer saturate your heart and mind in His beauty and love. I think it will go a long way in helping you learn to “abide” in Him. Again, here is the prayer:

• “In Christ, there is nothing I can do that would make You love me more, and nothing I have done that makes You love me less.”
• “Your presence and approval are all I need for everlasting joy.”
• “As You have been to me, so I will be to others.”
• “As I pray, I’ll measure Your compassion by the cross and Your power by the resurrection.”

• I feel tired. Sometimes I find myself wondering “Does this work?”
• The closer I try to get to God, the further, it seems, I drift away.
• The list never ends. There’s always some way I need to improve: prayer, Bible study, more books to read and more people to serve. I don’t feel like I can ever do enough. I buy a movie ticket and feel like God is saying, “You could have used that money to feed the poor.”
• I keep messing up and I know God must be disappointed in me. Sometimes I wonder if I’m really a Christian at all.

Frustration grows and passion diminishes. Some consider severing whatever connection to Jesus and the church they might have had. Some hang on with a commitment to try harder, but they feel skeptical of any real change. If this describes you, there is good news. You can discover the whole gospel – not just a ticket to heaven, but a life-changing power that bears fruit: freedom from captivity to sin, a growing desire for God and a heart to serve others.* Join us in the coming weeks on Sunday morning at 10:30 as we discover why Paul called the gospel “the power of God”. 

*The Gospel: Rediscovering the Power that made Christianity Revolutionary” by J.D. Greear

It’s 1975: Wheel of Fortune premiers; the Viet Nam War is coming to an end; Terry Bradshaw leads the Pittsburgh Steelers to victory in Super Bowl IX; Gerald Ford is only months into the presidency he inherited following the Watergate Scandal and the economy is in recession. Imagine, at this time, being approached by two young men about a “high-tech” capital investment opportunity involving personal computers. Keep in mind, in 1975, most individuals do not own, nor have they even heard of a personal computer. Being the savvy investor that you are, you ask questions of one of the aspiring entrepreneurs.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty.”

“Do you have any entrepreneurial experience?”

“No.”

“What is your educational experience?”

“I dropped out of college after the first semester.”

“Do you have a source of income presently?”

“No, but I don’t really need one. I’m crashing on the floor of a friend’s house.”

“What about food?”

“I get free meals at the Hari Krishna temple. If I can find enough Coke bottles, I can get enough money for a Happy Meal.”

“Where is your business?”

“My mom and dad’s garage.”

You’re underwhelmed and you politely decline. As you are likely aware, you’ve just walked away from Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Fast forward to 1997. Apple is still around but has a dismal track record. You reward yourself for not investing in that loser high-tech start up by purchasing a PC for $2000.00. Fast forward to 2012. If you had used that two grand to purchase 100 shares of Apple stock in 1997, you could ring in the new year with $150,000.00 shares of Apple stock. And what if you had helped those 20 year old hippie dropouts in 1975? If spotting great investments were easy we would all be rich.

What are the five or six investments that you could make in 2012 that would have the highest and best return?  For a parent, it may be the decision to invest more in a child than a career. For another person, it may be the decision to forgive and release the bitterness that has poisoned her life for many years. The best investments create returns that go well beyond financial prosperity.

Join us in January and February as we explore the teachings of Jesus and some of the best investments we can make in the coming year.