When the UPWARD parts of our life together are authentic and consistent we long for more than an "occasional experience with God". We long for transformation. In JOHN 15:4 Jesus says, "Abide in Me …" meaning He wants to experience a vital connection with us. Each day is filled with opportunities to abide with Jesus and one another.
Our INWARD life together as 2nd Street provides opportunities for us to develop the INTERIOR part of who we are. This INWARD journey is where much of the "soul-work" of our faith is accomplished; our MINDS [what we think], our WILLS [how we speak and act] and our EMOTIONS [how we feel] are shaped into the character of Jesus Christ. Through the INWARD life experiences we have with God and one another we will come to experience SHEPHERDING, INSTRUCTION and TRAINING.
I read that when going through a crisis, it takes at least three otherpeople to go through it with you in order to make it. I've seen this happen in Community Groups, and this is why they're so important to who we are as 2nd Street.
— Mike Cain (Sunday 24 June 2007)
God is calling us to make Community Groups a more central part of who we are as a church. So much SHEPHERDING, INSTRUCTION, and TRAINING can take place within the structure of Community Groups and other small workshop settings and retreats … that literally cannot be discovered or lived-into in any other way. This INWARD life with God and with one another is the pathway to authentic transformation.
