Seeking Out Community
Waiving to a greeter, Edder and Janet Perez walked up the steps of Life Church with their kids. With each step, a seed of nervousness grew in their stomachs. Having recently moved to Idaho from Southern California for work, they didn’t know a single soul in the Gem State.
Now they were entering the glass doors of a church much larger than they were used to attending.
“It was a bit intimidating coming to a big church,” Edder said. “In Southern California, big churches don’t always translate to holy-spirit-filled churches.”
But Edder and Janet found the environment at Life Church “freeing” and soon knew they had found their new home church.
With the question of “where to go to church?” settled, their next step was to eagerly seek out community.
“Moving up here, not knowing anybody, we knew we had to get plugged in,” Edder said.
Edder and Janet attended Discover Life and learned more about Life Church. They started to serve in the kids and media departments. Then they jumped online and searched for a Life Group to join.
The first group that caught their attention was Date Night for Married Couples. They signed up and enjoyed game nights with new friends. They had grown-up conversations about marriage with people who were newlyweds, all the way to empty nesters. And they found the community they were looking for.
Janet also got plugged into a healing Life Group. Having been in a car accident two years ago, she was left with a painful hematoma on the left side of her leg, which made it difficult to bend over.
After receiving prayer for her leg, Janet was instantly healed.
“She comes home and says, ‘look, I can touch the floor!’” Edder said.
“We’ve never been the same since,” Janet said.
Now, every chance she gets, Janet tells people the value of getting plugged into a group. She’s met people that don’t know anyone at the church but have attended for years. She encourages them to join a Life Group and find like-minded friends; friends to lean on, to grow with, and enjoy life—just like she and Edder have found.
“The availability [for community] is there with Life Groups, and there is something tailored for everyone,” Edder said.
“People are so generous and so nice, but you have to get plugged in and you have to put yourself out there,” Janet said.
If you’re looking to find that same type of community, join a Life Group today. Just click the link below to browse our 80+ groups that are going on right now.