*a sharing with the congregation as part of the worship service to invite members to discipleship*

I would like to begin by sharing with you 2 very precious quotes that God has used for many years to keep me..to keep me moving towards Him... to keep me.. Faithful, ..to keep me centered.

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. "
(Isaiah 61:1-3)

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. " (Acts 2:42-47)

The first one, in Isaiah, has always moved me so deeply.. It showed me what my own actions should look like and reminds me always, that God has a plan for me and in Acts 2... I saw what a community of faith could look like. Unlike ol’Nicodemus, I didn’t come with my cup already full of 613 commandments... I was already in the wind... (John 3:1-15 )

I had been praying for fellowship for a long time.... When I came to Peace I truly didn’t know anyone, except the fabulous A.P. who colluded with my mother to get me to come to church... yet I accepted an invitation to be a part of small group leadership trainings ... and I began my fellowship-ing through a ‘Transformation Journal’ group. It was an amazing experience of being together with a group of women to study and to share. I call this my first Triad, and although we did indeed re-form with intention to Discipleship as an official Triad... that TJ group proved to be indeed, transformational. I was also a part of a large leadership triad... which had, on good nights, about 10-11 people.

Many of you know that I’m a single mother, I moved to Charlottesville 4 years ago, knowing no one. My family is happily placed in great vacation areas.. Haines City, Florida (extremely close to Mickey) and Rico, Colorado (near Telluride). So they are not physically close nor are physically able to support my son and I on a frequent basis. I have time issues, I have resource issues, I had a lot of reasons not to make a weekly commitment... yet I felt drawn.. Having now been through the TJ group, and 2 triads.. I have come to realize the incredible joy and love of this family at Peace. I have come to experience God in such an intimate way.. A simple way.. Of caring and being cared for.

For me, these experiences have been about relationships with myself, with others, with God and how God uses us and those relationships. As I said earlier, I was already in the wind... I was following Jesus. But alone, flapping about... knowing God and God’s love for me.. Apparently.. Isn’t enough.. I learned time and time again.. How amazingly God works through us, I learned the power of the prayer of faith, I learned I wouldn’t die if I prayed out loud with people.. And they wouldn’t laugh either if those prayers weren’t pretty.. Or grammatically correct... I discovered that being accountable and transparent.. Meant that there would be those that knew I wasn’t always right, wasn’t always confident, and wasn’t always ok. By taking the hand that God’s family was offering me, I grabbed a hold of God.

The joy, laughter, caring, and love that God brought into my life through a simple weekly commitment, is profound. It has been the living water that continues to flow in my life and out of my life in Jesus.. Just to be clear.. I still have time issues, I still have resource issues (for now)... I still withdraw into my single-mother cave on occasion... but it’s ok... there simply is no other way but to outwardly express all that God has given.

‘Freely you have received, freely give’ (Matthew 10:8)

The point of the Discipleship Triads that I’ve discovered.. Is about the model that Jesus demonstrated for us..It was through personal relationships, through personally investing in others that God’s love is spread.... It is also reflected in Acts.. A community of believers, together, sharing, prepares us to go out. Out into the world, filled, loved and ready to share God with others. It’s not just a closed group of people that dig each other... and dig God.. But a safe place to learn,.. Learn to love God, love one another and to grow in Christ, so that we can then.. Go in Christ.. (See how that works?)

And so we go... My abnormal level of enthusiasm and joy....is now being channeled into sharing God's love, which has so filled me that it overflows.. outward...

Your results may vary ...