I think all of us would agree that we want a close-knit church with caring personal relationships. When we come to church each Sunday we want to know is sitting to our right and our left. We want to know that we matter. The kind of intimacy that we desire for our church family is not possible from worship or coffee hour. To achieve the satisfying relationships we desire we need to engage in small groups. From the beginning of the Methodist movement small groups have been the foundational building block. This Lent I am inviting you to participate in a 5- week small group. Our study will be Companions in Christ: Embracing the journey. The Christian life is often described as a journey. It is a journey characterized by discovery, challenge, change, adversity and joy, uncertainty and fulfillment. The journey is also marked by companionship, first with the one we seek to follow and second by those who also seek to follow Christ. Through this study we will join together for a time of exploration through reading and reflection. Each day you will be asked to read a small Bible passage and be challenged to reflect on the importance of the passage for your faith journey. This Lent, take on the discipline of gathering in a small group. Pastor Hoyt