Small Groups

A desire to belong is foundational to the human experience. This need should not surprise us, as our Creator exists in the community of the Trinity, and we have been created in God’s image. The challenge, of course, lies in discovering the process we must undertake to find, develop, and rest in healthy, life-giving community. Fortunately, that process is not onerous, and the path is not hidden.

We moved from the Chicago Suburbs to Houston two and a half years ago. The hardest part of our decision to move, was leaving a community that literally took 15 years for us to build.

Building meaningful, enjoyable, and trustworthy relationships is not easy. There are so many things that make it hard. Starting off, there is the question you might find yourself asking when you meet a new person: “Will be able to connect? Can I be authentic with this person? Is this person someone I can laugh with and also be able to connect with on a deeper level?”

Confession: I had never belonged to a church small group before City Church. I didn’t see the need, really. I had always been surrounded by peers my age and community seemed easy enough to find.

Fast forward to a warm Tuesday night in 2015. We were in Houston, tackling my first ‘real’ job, as well as that most daunting of tasks—making friends as an adult.

My husband, Andrew, and I both come from large, Mediterranean families (think “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”). But living far from family has necessitated a reliance on friendships that, in turn, has shown us the beauty of community. We have found just such a loving community through our City Group! 

I love basketball. I love to watch, coach, and referee basketball. Last century, I actually played basketball.


But there’s one part of college basketball that I just don’t understand: the whistle huddle. Whenever a whistle is blown, the team rushes together, links arms, and starts talking over each other. I don’t understand. What are they talking about? They’ve watched tapes, read the scouting reports, and made a detailed plan. Why are they still talking?

In Cast Away (2000), the Tom Hanks-carried film that adapts the deserted island storyline to a modern age, something strange happens the moment our lead character (Chuck Noland) finds himself stranded on a shore in the South Pacific. The remarkable musical score, written by Alan Silvestri, is stripped away. For Chuck’s entire time on the island, you won’t hear so much as a piano key struck in the distance. His survival is marked not only by chalk lines cut into a cave wall, but also by intense, emotional silence.