What is sweet, salty, warm, and solid?

Hmm…a new dish of fancy ethnic cuisine?
A buff athlete with a sweet personality after a jog?

Good guesses, but wrong on all counts. May I introduce the Women’s Bible Study Kinship at Chinese Grace Bible Church (CGBC)?

Sweet

I’m not sure how best to describe our fellowship experience besides the culinary language of a sweet flavor—like when I bite into a piece of dessert, the taste buds come alive with every savoring of its sweetness. Can you relate? Of course you can! Yes, our fellowship is sweet in that we just love being together, enjoying the activities of our group—not to mention our sweet personalities that add to the enjoyment. A-hem.

Salty, Warm, and Solid

What then, are the activities of our group? No, we don’t do jumping jacks or marathons together, but we do some hard work digging into the Word of God and digesting it. Salt enhances the flavor of foods. Since we are called to be salt of the earth, our prayerful study in God’s Word adds to our saltiness as we live out the gospel of Jesus. In addition, we find comfort and encouragement in God’s Word and experience the warmth of His fellowship as we get to know Him together.

Our desire as we study together is to build up a solid faith that does not bend in the winds of life’s difficulties. As women, our emotions run deep, but so would our faith as we saturate our hearts with God’s solid truths. As we mutually share our confidential prayer needs, we further solidify our faith and dependence on God.

In stirring the pot together, we also sprinkle in a few ingredients of fun as we plan outings, potlucks, and teas when the occasion arises. (You know, the girly stuff!)

Bon Appétit

As with our Women’s Bible Study, kinship groups are ideally small and intimate. The smaller size enhances sharing and group dynamics. At CGBC, kinship groups come in all sizes and shapes. If you sense the need to be supported by other believers in such a setting, I would encourage you to start your own group, or join an existing one that fits your needs! You may do so by contacting CGBC’s fellowship pastor.

Here are some testimonies from our group:

“I joined because I wanted a small group [where it’s not] risky in developing confidentiality [and] that would foster relationships [and] study the Word. Over time, trust and confidentiality grew, as well as friendships. I love our gals…I feel connected. It’s my “go to” group of women who care about me. [In our Bible studies, I] loved especially learning about God’s character as it’s helped me trust Him more. I would recommend people to belong to a small group.” –Anonymous.

“I needed a support group that could relate to me at this stage of my life.
My husband had passed away and I didn’t know anyone in Sacramento, having just moved here.  I wanted to find a women’s group, and these women were kind and loving.  I’ve enjoyed our time in the Word, but have been especially blessed because these women are my friends, and we can share at a deeper level. Everyone needs to be in a smaller group where others get to know you and can support you in prayer while we journey through the struggles and celebrations of everyday life.  These women are strong in their faith, and I can count on them to always point me back to Jesus.” -Bev Wong

When I first moved to Sacramento and began attending Chinese Grace Bible Church, I didn’t know which small group to join. I just knew I needed to study God’s Word. So I joined the Women’s Kinship thinking I could just change to another group later. Now, after ten years in this same group, I know this is perfect for me. Here’s why:

1. We get to study God’s Word intimately. It is not a social club meeting every other Friday night. We do not just receive head knowledge but heart knowledge as well. Knowing what God’s Word says is good, but His Word must also impact us. The group leader asks good questions to get us to think about what God is saying and why. She challenges us and nudges us gently to grow. I feel so blessed to be in this group.

2. We have a great group of women. Over the years we have seen and experienced everything life has to offer—our children’s weddings, deaths, illness, grand-babies, birthdays, unemployment, new jobs, etc. We see how God has worked in each one of our lives and is continually working. He draws us nearer to Him in each step of this thing called life. We have shared so much of our lives together, growing closer to each other and to God. I could see how each of us needed God so much in our lives. He is indeed our portion.

3. We support one another and pray for one another. Each of us has a prayer partner, and it is so good to have a person to pray particularly for me. We build godly friendship in the process.

I joined this group by chance but I know God has put me here. I’m so glad to be a part of it. -Anonymous

So, are you ready to chow down? Do the benefits of kinship small groups whet your appetite just a tad? Our church’s 2016 theme is “Renewal.” What better way is there to renew our desire to be with other believers than by “not neglecting to meet together” to encourage one another (Hebrews 10:25, ESV)? While regularly attending worship service on Sundays and ministering together are essential to being a part of a local body, small groups offer a more intimate setting to practice the “one-another” commands.

Encourage one another. Love one another. Instruct one another. It’s what the Bible teaches us believers to do.

Why Kinship groups? Try one and you tell me!