Dreaming Big

For at least the past six months, I have felt a pull on my heart to bring up the idea of an ecumenical family group in our community. The one thing that has kept me from doing this is the fact that I am scared of hearing, "Great, do you want to be in charge of it?" from the church leaders. You see, as much as it would be wonderful to be involved in something larger than myself, I have never done it so there is a fear of the unknown.

The idea was born out of a failed attempt for our church to have a young couples get together. The response was nearly nothing and it was canceled. My first thought was that we could have had a greater response if it had been open to more people. You see, while our church is growing, many of the younger couples have small children and are unable to be as involved in the church as they would like to be.

I want to host a group that is open to all where we could get together for a family pot luck dinner, followed by allowing the children to play (and possibly asking the church youth groups to help entertain the kids) while we conduct a Bible study that will help us become more dedicated to helping our children lead Christian lives.

Another benefit of doing this is that we would be forming a circle of families that could help one another in times of need. There are many times when something is going on and parents may need someone to help out with the children for a short time. Once relationships form, parents would know other parents who can help and they will have confidence that their children are in a home where the family shares values with their own.

Thanks to Proverbs 31 Ministries, there is an opportunity for me to attend She Speaks, a conference dedicated to giving women the tools they need to follow their mission and lead their own ministries. This week, Renee Swope is hosting a scholarship contest for one winner to receive a full scholarship to the conference. I would love to win this scholarship so I can receive some guidance in making this dream a reality.