The COVID-19 season continues, but it’s possible to safely meet with your LifeGroup. In fact, most of us need community now more than ever. If you find yourself missing your friends and your LifeGroup, this post is for you.
It’s Monday. You get to work, set down your things, and head over to the coffee station where your coworker asks, “What did you do over the weekend?” And your mind goes blank. You think, “Wait, what did I do this weekend?”
That feeling you’re having is the same feeling I get when I think of 2020. I remember everything getting cancelled. I remember having to go with plan C, plan D, plan Z … but what did I even do? Life was on hold, and a whole year went by. Right? It’s really easy to feel that way!
If you’re like me, what you missed most were your friends and your LifeGroup. But here’s some encouragement: You don’t have to miss them! You’ve spent your brainpower coming up with creative solutions to everything else, so let me help you get back together with your LifeGroup in 2021 so you can stop missing your friends.
Here’s how:
- Have that awkward first conversation. So you’ve missed a bunch of LifeGroup gatherings and you’re feeling some guilt. No worries! The beginning of a new year is a great excuse to start over. Tell your LifeGroup you’re ready to jump back in, and commit to making it happen. Don’t worry that it’s not January anymore. People know that getting started again takes time. Does anyone really have all their goals and new action steps ready on the first day? If they do, they’re the exception.
- Find a way to meet that feels comfortable. For me, that means meeting together digitally. For others, it may mean meeting together for an outdoor activity, a patio brunch, or in someone’s home. Do what you need to do to stay safe, but commit to staying together!
- Make it easy. Don’t pressure yourself to make it perfect. If all you do is process how your week went together (assuming you can remember), that’s great! If you’d like to do more, consider reading a YouVersion Bible Plan together, or take advantage of the many resources available for your LifeGroup. If you’d like a good starting place, check out this episode of the You’ve Heard It Said podcast with Craig Groeschel about his new book, Winning the War in Your Mind.
- Make it fun. One of my LifeGroup’s favorite activities is getting together for breakfast, but eating at a restaurant hasn’t been an option for us lately. So we decided to make it fun by dropping off breakfast goodie bags at each person’s house with a can of cinnamon rolls and some premade coffee and juice. Then we ate together, online!
- Pray together. Some of the most healing moments this year were when I was able to sit with people I loved and pray together over the many challenges and blessings of this year. It’s really one of my favorite things to do in community!
There are many things you’ve had to miss out on in the last year, and there will probably be more this year, but you don’t have to miss out on your community. Maybe how you get together isn’t ideal right now, but meeting together is important. You don’t have to continue missing your friends. Take a few of the ideas above, or come up with your own, and get back together with your LifeGroup in 2021!
