Tales from the Team

  • 11 August 2021
  • Dan McKinlay
My tale comes from Home Groups
There is a diverse history of home groups at SHAP. Prior to amalgamation, each parish had its own history with small groups and the challenge in this new season has been finding a solution that helps people engage more deeply with our community and with God’s word.

My approach to home groups has been to continue encouraging those long established groups to meet whilst making it easier for new members to be involved in a home group, maybe even for the first time. Most recently (in lockdown) this has taken the form of the online midweek fellowship. Although it is not a Bible study per se, a primary feature of our time together is that we explore a theme or watch some teaching content and then briefly discuss it.

As much as loneliness from one another can be a real and pressing issue during lockdowns and restrictions, being isolated or feeling far from God can leave us in despair. Whether you have been a part of a SHAP group for a long time or if you’ve started joining us in this lockdown season, I commend our small groups to you. In the final few months of 2021 we will have a new resource for small groups on the theme of assurance. Stay tuned for more info!