pat loughery

Yesterday I hung out with an casual friend who lives nearby.  We had a good chat, but for the purposes of this post it was perhaps most interesting because we’re starting to gather together a small group that will meet in our home, starting in September, for some local fellowship.  That coffee chat was the first step along the way.

I’d like to let it become what it wants to become organically, though I do have lots of thoughts and ideas about it might be and do.   Primarily though, Shannon and I want to have a local group that we can have relationship and discipleship with, and to continue to grow friendships in our neighborhood.

One of the crappy things about shutting down a church plant for us is that our friendships withered away forvarious reasons.  Church planters’ friendships are often tied up directly in the church itself (for right or wrong, and I can see both sides), and when that ends, relationship dynamics change.  A year later, and even though we really enjoy our friendships with our current church, we also want more local relationships, folks we can walk or ride bicycles to hang out with.  And I want to see that also grow as a community of faith.