1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:09,540 Now I'm so glad that we have Wally and Richelle and Zareen with us here today for today's 2 00:00:09,540 --> 00:00:11,120 segment of Trinity Talks. 3 00:00:11,120 --> 00:00:16,540 Now all three of you are in a life group and today happens to be a Life Group Sunday here 4 00:00:16,540 --> 00:00:17,540 at Trinity. 5 00:00:17,540 --> 00:00:18,540 So thank you for joining me. 6 00:00:18,540 --> 00:00:19,540 Thank you, Elizabeth. 7 00:00:19,540 --> 00:00:24,940 No, I was hoping we could talk a little bit about life groups here at Trinity, how to 8 00:00:24,940 --> 00:00:27,540 get involved, some of the benefits. 9 00:00:27,540 --> 00:00:32,340 But I also wanted to mention that today's during our sermon, we talked about family. 10 00:00:32,340 --> 00:00:36,660 So before we get started talking about life groups, would you guys be okay with playing 11 00:00:36,660 --> 00:00:39,520 a little game of Family Feud? 12 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:40,520 Sure. 13 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:41,520 Why not? 14 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:45,400 I'll tell you one thing, the answer has to be yes, because you've got whiteboards right 15 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:48,680 in front of you and I've got some questions in front of me. 16 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:54,180 So if you are familiar with the game Family Feud, what we're going to do is try to come 17 00:00:54,180 --> 00:01:00,460 up with an answer that the majority of people who would have been surveyed would have answered. 18 00:01:00,460 --> 00:01:05,660 So if 100 people were surveyed, they're going to answer questions and you're going to try 19 00:01:05,660 --> 00:01:09,140 to come up with the majority answer for that. 20 00:01:09,140 --> 00:01:11,700 And maybe I'll give a prize out after this segment, who knows? 21 00:01:11,700 --> 00:01:13,900 I don't know, I don't have a prize yet. 22 00:01:13,900 --> 00:01:16,420 But keeping your answer secret from one another. 23 00:01:16,420 --> 00:01:17,980 So we surveyed 100 people. 24 00:01:17,980 --> 00:01:22,300 Name a fruit that you might eat in the morning. 25 00:01:22,300 --> 00:01:24,420 Oh, all right. 26 00:01:24,420 --> 00:01:25,780 Oh, Rochelle. 27 00:01:25,780 --> 00:01:27,580 I don't know if Rochelle's ever eaten fruit. 28 00:01:27,580 --> 00:01:29,820 Do I eat fruit in the morning? 29 00:01:29,820 --> 00:01:31,940 The majority of people would have answered. 30 00:01:31,940 --> 00:01:36,020 I'm not sure who these 100 people are, just so you know, but 100 people. 31 00:01:36,020 --> 00:01:38,900 All right, it's time to reveal your answers. 32 00:01:38,900 --> 00:01:39,900 Okay. 33 00:01:39,900 --> 00:01:42,500 Well, banana, banana, banana. 34 00:01:42,500 --> 00:01:47,380 And actually, the number one answer was banana. 35 00:01:47,380 --> 00:01:50,580 So you're going to be in charge of keeping track of your own points, everybody. 36 00:01:50,580 --> 00:01:51,900 We have five questions. 37 00:01:51,900 --> 00:01:53,180 You're making this very seriously. 38 00:01:53,180 --> 00:01:54,180 You are. 39 00:01:54,180 --> 00:01:55,180 Wow. 40 00:01:55,180 --> 00:01:56,180 We're in it to win it. 41 00:01:56,180 --> 00:01:57,180 All right. 42 00:01:57,180 --> 00:01:58,180 Question number two. 43 00:01:58,180 --> 00:02:02,580 Name something that people lose often. 44 00:02:02,580 --> 00:02:06,140 Name something that people lose often. 45 00:02:06,140 --> 00:02:07,140 All right. 46 00:02:07,140 --> 00:02:08,940 This seemed to be a quick answer for everybody here. 47 00:02:08,940 --> 00:02:09,940 All right. 48 00:02:09,940 --> 00:02:10,940 Time to reveal your answers. 49 00:02:10,940 --> 00:02:11,940 Oh, no. 50 00:02:11,940 --> 00:02:12,940 Oh, all right. 51 00:02:12,940 --> 00:02:13,940 Last minute. 52 00:02:13,940 --> 00:02:14,940 Oh, I'll have to read that. 53 00:02:14,940 --> 00:02:15,940 Okay. 54 00:02:15,940 --> 00:02:16,940 All right. 55 00:02:16,940 --> 00:02:17,940 It's okay. 56 00:02:17,940 --> 00:02:18,940 We've got keys, keys and mitten. 57 00:02:18,940 --> 00:02:19,940 I had keys and I got a key. 58 00:02:19,940 --> 00:02:21,940 Mitten. 59 00:02:21,940 --> 00:02:22,940 I had keys and I changed it. 60 00:02:22,940 --> 00:02:23,940 Yeah. 61 00:02:23,940 --> 00:02:25,940 The top answer actually is keys. 62 00:02:25,940 --> 00:02:26,940 Okay. 63 00:02:26,940 --> 00:02:28,940 Mitten did not make the top five. 64 00:02:28,940 --> 00:02:30,740 Every day we're looking for someone's mitten. 65 00:02:30,740 --> 00:02:31,740 That's right. 66 00:02:31,740 --> 00:02:33,740 So it must always be just one mitten too, right? 67 00:02:33,740 --> 00:02:34,740 All right. 68 00:02:34,740 --> 00:02:38,620 So question number three is, if I can pull out my notes here. 69 00:02:38,620 --> 00:02:39,620 All right. 70 00:02:39,620 --> 00:02:42,820 Name something that people are often afraid of. 71 00:02:42,820 --> 00:02:43,940 Okay. 72 00:02:43,940 --> 00:02:46,380 This is going to be debatable. 73 00:02:46,380 --> 00:02:47,380 It's debatable. 74 00:02:47,380 --> 00:02:49,580 We're trying to come up with the answer that most people would answer. 75 00:02:49,580 --> 00:02:54,580 Oh, not you per se, unless you feel like you do reflect the majority. 76 00:02:54,580 --> 00:02:55,580 Okay. 77 00:02:55,580 --> 00:02:56,580 Okay. 78 00:02:56,580 --> 00:02:57,580 I think. 79 00:02:57,580 --> 00:02:58,580 All right. 80 00:02:58,580 --> 00:02:59,580 You think you've got it? 81 00:02:59,580 --> 00:03:00,580 All right. 82 00:03:00,580 --> 00:03:02,380 It's time to reveal your answer. 83 00:03:02,380 --> 00:03:03,380 The dark spiders. 84 00:03:03,380 --> 00:03:04,380 No, no. 85 00:03:04,380 --> 00:03:05,380 I switched to spiders. 86 00:03:05,380 --> 00:03:06,940 Oh, you switched to spiders. 87 00:03:06,940 --> 00:03:08,620 The dark spiders and snakes. 88 00:03:08,620 --> 00:03:09,620 Oh, no. 89 00:03:09,620 --> 00:03:10,620 Sorry. 90 00:03:10,620 --> 00:03:11,620 Wally has the dark. 91 00:03:11,620 --> 00:03:12,620 I have the dark. 92 00:03:12,620 --> 00:03:13,620 The top answer. 93 00:03:13,620 --> 00:03:14,660 Actually, you all made the top five. 94 00:03:14,660 --> 00:03:17,020 Number one was spiders. 95 00:03:17,020 --> 00:03:18,020 Number three was darkness. 96 00:03:18,020 --> 00:03:19,660 And number four was snakes. 97 00:03:19,660 --> 00:03:21,580 I'm very impressed with us. 98 00:03:21,580 --> 00:03:22,580 I think so too, you guys. 99 00:03:22,580 --> 00:03:24,180 I think Michelle was in the lead. 100 00:03:24,180 --> 00:03:25,180 I think she is. 101 00:03:25,180 --> 00:03:26,180 I do think. 102 00:03:26,180 --> 00:03:27,180 Yep. 103 00:03:27,180 --> 00:03:28,180 Keep track of your own points. 104 00:03:28,180 --> 00:03:30,140 I almost said the dark because my son is every night the dark. 105 00:03:30,140 --> 00:03:31,140 Right. 106 00:03:31,140 --> 00:03:32,140 It's just in my head. 107 00:03:32,140 --> 00:03:33,140 The dark. 108 00:03:33,140 --> 00:03:34,140 But spiders was number one. 109 00:03:34,140 --> 00:03:35,140 All right. 110 00:03:35,140 --> 00:03:36,140 Question number four. 111 00:03:36,140 --> 00:03:38,940 Name something people do to relax. 112 00:03:38,940 --> 00:03:45,940 Being a contestant on Trinity Talks is not one of those answers. 113 00:03:45,940 --> 00:03:46,940 You make it relaxing. 114 00:03:46,940 --> 00:03:48,740 Maybe listening to it is. 115 00:03:48,740 --> 00:03:49,740 All right. 116 00:03:49,740 --> 00:03:52,500 So reveal your answer if you've got it. 117 00:03:52,500 --> 00:03:55,340 We have read a bubble bath and have a bath. 118 00:03:55,340 --> 00:03:56,340 All right. 119 00:03:56,340 --> 00:03:57,660 Number one was read a book. 120 00:03:57,660 --> 00:03:58,660 Oh, well done. 121 00:03:58,660 --> 00:03:59,660 Take a bath. 122 00:03:59,660 --> 00:04:02,380 Made it to number five. 123 00:04:02,380 --> 00:04:03,740 OK, this is the tiebreaker. 124 00:04:03,740 --> 00:04:05,740 Tiebreaker right here. 125 00:04:05,740 --> 00:04:07,060 All right. 126 00:04:07,060 --> 00:04:10,500 I guess this next question would really depend on maybe who is being surveyed. 127 00:04:10,500 --> 00:04:14,100 But number five says name a famous landmark. 128 00:04:14,100 --> 00:04:17,100 Canadian. 129 00:04:17,100 --> 00:04:20,300 I'm not the famous landmark. 130 00:04:20,300 --> 00:04:21,300 OK. 131 00:04:21,300 --> 00:04:24,860 So we've got some thoughts going on. 132 00:04:24,860 --> 00:04:31,340 I have some some erasing, some people questioning their spelling possibly. 133 00:04:31,340 --> 00:04:33,500 I'm questioning my spelling. 134 00:04:33,500 --> 00:04:35,140 Does spelling count? 135 00:04:35,140 --> 00:04:36,140 Spelling does not count here. 136 00:04:36,140 --> 00:04:37,140 It's good. 137 00:04:37,140 --> 00:04:38,140 Tiebreaker. 138 00:04:38,140 --> 00:04:39,140 This is the tiebreaker. 139 00:04:39,140 --> 00:04:40,140 All right. 140 00:04:40,140 --> 00:04:41,580 Name a famous landmark. 141 00:04:41,580 --> 00:04:42,580 Time to reveal your answer. 142 00:04:42,580 --> 00:04:46,980 We've got Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty and Statue of Liberty. 143 00:04:46,980 --> 00:04:47,980 All right. 144 00:04:47,980 --> 00:04:52,540 Number two was Statue of Liberty and number one was Eiffel Tower. 145 00:04:52,540 --> 00:04:55,540 So I think Molly wins family. 146 00:04:55,540 --> 00:04:56,540 Family Vogel. 147 00:04:56,540 --> 00:04:57,540 Congratulations. 148 00:04:57,540 --> 00:04:58,540 I'm happy for you. 149 00:04:58,540 --> 00:04:59,540 It was a close game. 150 00:04:59,540 --> 00:05:00,540 It was a close game. 151 00:05:00,540 --> 00:05:03,540 And yeah, so we'll get you your prize later. 152 00:05:03,540 --> 00:05:04,540 That was good. 153 00:05:04,540 --> 00:05:05,540 It was good. 154 00:05:05,540 --> 00:05:06,540 Well done. 155 00:05:06,540 --> 00:05:09,540 So we are, as I said, we're talking about life groups today. 156 00:05:09,540 --> 00:05:13,220 And if you're here with us at the church, then you would know that we have some people 157 00:05:13,220 --> 00:05:18,100 from life group leadership talking to members of the congregation about how they can join 158 00:05:18,100 --> 00:05:19,100 a life group. 159 00:05:19,100 --> 00:05:23,620 But I'm glad that you're here with me, because I'm sure all of you have your own story that 160 00:05:23,620 --> 00:05:25,700 you come with about the life group that you're in. 161 00:05:25,700 --> 00:05:30,500 So would you mind telling me when you joined a life group here at Trinity and maybe also 162 00:05:30,500 --> 00:05:31,500 the why? 163 00:05:31,500 --> 00:05:32,500 Absolutely. 164 00:05:32,500 --> 00:05:33,500 I can go first. 165 00:05:33,500 --> 00:05:34,500 Yeah. 166 00:05:34,500 --> 00:05:36,500 So my husband and I have been going to Trinity. 167 00:05:36,500 --> 00:05:41,220 For just over, it was 2022, the August of 2022. 168 00:05:41,220 --> 00:05:46,860 So we started going to be started looking for a life group pretty quickly once we started 169 00:05:46,860 --> 00:05:48,260 attending here. 170 00:05:48,260 --> 00:05:54,580 And then around in the winter of that year and then 2023, we found a life group. 171 00:05:54,580 --> 00:05:59,700 And there's been some movement and changes in where we've been, but we've been with 172 00:05:59,700 --> 00:06:02,020 the group now for just over a year. 173 00:06:02,020 --> 00:06:08,980 And so it's been lovely and yeah, life groups for myself and my husband have always been 174 00:06:08,980 --> 00:06:15,940 like a really integral part of our individual faith, but then also our faith as a couple. 175 00:06:15,940 --> 00:06:22,020 Just being in a smaller community, having our faith encouraged by other people. 176 00:06:22,020 --> 00:06:27,620 For me, getting in the word is really important, but I really struggle with that on an individual 177 00:06:27,620 --> 00:06:28,620 level. 178 00:06:28,620 --> 00:06:32,980 So having that accountability and doing it with other people, gaining their perspective 179 00:06:32,980 --> 00:06:34,420 has always been really important. 180 00:06:34,420 --> 00:06:40,900 And now we have young children and so having that family aspect is also really life-giving 181 00:06:40,900 --> 00:06:41,900 for us. 182 00:06:41,900 --> 00:06:42,900 That's great. 183 00:06:42,900 --> 00:06:43,900 Thank you. 184 00:06:43,900 --> 00:06:46,900 Thank you, Rochelle. 185 00:06:46,900 --> 00:06:50,740 My husband and I joined Trinity not long after you, as it turns out. 186 00:06:50,740 --> 00:06:52,740 We started in November of 2022. 187 00:06:52,740 --> 00:06:53,740 Okay. 188 00:06:53,740 --> 00:06:57,180 And we had heard a lot about life groups almost every year. 189 00:06:57,180 --> 00:07:02,540 We heard a lot about life groups almost immediately and just how all positive things, but how 190 00:07:02,540 --> 00:07:04,580 fantastic they are. 191 00:07:04,580 --> 00:07:12,140 And so we participated in the Alpha course in the spring of 2023 and Wally and Jane Vogel 192 00:07:12,140 --> 00:07:18,660 were leaders and had at that time mentioned that they will be starting up a life group 193 00:07:18,660 --> 00:07:19,940 in the fall. 194 00:07:19,940 --> 00:07:24,060 So we started our life group just last fall with Wally and Jane. 195 00:07:24,060 --> 00:07:29,920 And we'd made some wonderful relationships in Alpha. 196 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:32,540 And so we wanted to continue those relationships. 197 00:07:32,540 --> 00:07:39,820 And for me personally, I wanted to build friendships with like-minded individuals following Christ 198 00:07:39,820 --> 00:07:46,820 and deepen my own faith and be more engaged in the Trinity community. 199 00:07:46,820 --> 00:07:47,820 Thank you. 200 00:07:47,820 --> 00:07:48,820 Thanks, Serene. 201 00:07:48,820 --> 00:07:50,180 And what about you, Wally? 202 00:07:50,180 --> 00:07:58,140 So my wife Jane and I actually started a life group over 30 years ago when life groups first 203 00:07:58,140 --> 00:07:59,140 started up. 204 00:07:59,140 --> 00:08:00,440 And it was a great experience. 205 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:05,440 And we did it for really the connections and the growth potential. 206 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:08,940 And we grew a lot as we led the group. 207 00:08:08,940 --> 00:08:12,500 Then that group went its course over many years. 208 00:08:12,500 --> 00:08:15,580 And then I've been part of a men's group that meets on Thursday mornings. 209 00:08:15,580 --> 00:08:19,720 And again, it's about connections, it's about growth, it's about getting up early. 210 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:22,320 So you have to do that. 211 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:23,320 And that's been great. 212 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:27,540 But Jane and I were talking for quite a while that we wanted to do a group together again. 213 00:08:27,540 --> 00:08:31,860 And that's Alpha became sort of the conduit to start that group. 214 00:08:31,860 --> 00:08:36,380 And we just love it because even if you've been doing this for many years, you still 215 00:08:36,380 --> 00:08:41,300 learn something every everybody brings a perspective to the group and everybody can learn from 216 00:08:41,300 --> 00:08:42,300 one another. 217 00:08:42,300 --> 00:08:43,300 And that's what we love. 218 00:08:43,300 --> 00:08:44,300 I love that. 219 00:08:44,300 --> 00:08:45,300 I love that. 220 00:08:45,300 --> 00:08:48,060 So you've already alluded to this, that your groups look a little bit different. 221 00:08:48,060 --> 00:08:51,660 While you mentioned you have a men's group, I know that there's then each Rochelle and 222 00:08:51,660 --> 00:08:52,860 Zareen, you have different groups. 223 00:08:52,860 --> 00:08:56,500 Could you tell me a little bit about who's in your group? 224 00:08:56,500 --> 00:08:58,780 What the composition of your groups look like? 225 00:08:58,780 --> 00:09:05,700 We're a fairly homogenous group in that we're all men, fairly similar age and stage. 226 00:09:05,700 --> 00:09:09,940 But as I said, we do you have to like getting up early in the morning. 227 00:09:09,940 --> 00:09:15,580 And you know, on a typical week, you know, out of about 10 members of the group on a 228 00:09:15,580 --> 00:09:18,980 typical week, we get about five that show up. 229 00:09:18,980 --> 00:09:21,700 And that's just the ebb and flow of people's schedule. 230 00:09:21,700 --> 00:09:24,580 And we really do walk with one another. 231 00:09:24,580 --> 00:09:30,780 I find men particularly don't necessarily naturally talk about themselves and their 232 00:09:30,780 --> 00:09:32,780 relationships and so on and so forth. 233 00:09:32,780 --> 00:09:36,500 In other contexts, you tend to talk about sports and work and what have you. 234 00:09:36,500 --> 00:09:41,220 So this is a safe place for people that for men that get to know each other and to share 235 00:09:41,220 --> 00:09:44,140 that sort of dimension of your life. 236 00:09:44,140 --> 00:09:45,780 Perfect. 237 00:09:45,780 --> 00:09:46,780 Great. 238 00:09:46,780 --> 00:09:55,860 Our Wednesday night group with Wally and Jane, there are men and women, I would say older, 239 00:09:55,860 --> 00:09:58,700 not old, in our group. 240 00:09:58,700 --> 00:10:01,220 We got a thumbs up there. 241 00:10:01,220 --> 00:10:04,580 And there are some couples and some singles. 242 00:10:04,580 --> 00:10:12,040 And the group is comprised of people who are at different stages in their walks of life. 243 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:18,100 So we've got people who, like myself, want to deepen my relationship with God. 244 00:10:18,100 --> 00:10:21,280 We've got some someone who's just starting on the journey. 245 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:23,740 We've got people who want to share their journey. 246 00:10:23,740 --> 00:10:29,780 We've got people who are very deep into their own journeys. 247 00:10:29,780 --> 00:10:32,460 So a very diverse group. 248 00:10:32,460 --> 00:10:34,740 And there's a lot of interaction. 249 00:10:34,740 --> 00:10:39,700 And we're always, to Wally's point, we're always growing from one another and learning. 250 00:10:39,700 --> 00:10:40,700 Thank you. 251 00:10:40,700 --> 00:10:42,300 I love that. 252 00:10:42,300 --> 00:10:48,520 So our group was born out of a need that my husband Andrew and I kind of recognize. 253 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:50,380 We have young children. 254 00:10:50,380 --> 00:10:55,340 Weeknights can be kind of tricky with school and then after school activities and dinner 255 00:10:55,340 --> 00:10:57,000 and bedtime. 256 00:10:57,000 --> 00:11:01,980 So we were kind of looking for other families that were in a similar position. 257 00:11:01,980 --> 00:11:08,540 And so we're made up of families slash parents who have children. 258 00:11:08,540 --> 00:11:15,620 And so it's a large group and there's six families and each of them have one to four 259 00:11:15,620 --> 00:11:16,740 children. 260 00:11:16,740 --> 00:11:23,340 So we meet on Sundays after the service from one to three. 261 00:11:23,340 --> 00:11:24,880 And so we usually all pack a lunch. 262 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:26,740 We eat it for a little bit together. 263 00:11:26,740 --> 00:11:32,560 And then the kids go do some activity and then we study for an hour or so together. 264 00:11:32,560 --> 00:11:36,860 And depending on the size of the group, we've been meeting at our home. 265 00:11:36,860 --> 00:11:42,100 But as it's grown, we've now been meeting in the church here in the basement. 266 00:11:42,100 --> 00:11:45,100 And so we'll see if it continues to grow, what will happen. 267 00:11:45,100 --> 00:11:51,160 But yeah, it's also diverse in terms of where people are at in their faith journey. 268 00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:54,100 And it's just a really safe and welcoming environment. 269 00:11:54,100 --> 00:12:01,260 And so I'm really thankful that we cater to the noisiness of the children and there's 270 00:12:01,260 --> 00:12:03,860 a lot of grace there, which is just wonderful. 271 00:12:03,860 --> 00:12:07,060 It sounds wonderful that the children probably develop a relationship with one another as 272 00:12:07,060 --> 00:12:10,600 well, which may be nice to see that grow out of that. 273 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:14,620 So I know that this is just a snapshot of some of the different types of groups we have 274 00:12:14,620 --> 00:12:15,620 at Trinity. 275 00:12:15,620 --> 00:12:18,900 I myself am part of a women's only small group. 276 00:12:18,900 --> 00:12:22,380 So I know there's so many different types of groups and it's lovely to see that people 277 00:12:22,380 --> 00:12:26,740 of all stages and walks are able to join in. 278 00:12:26,740 --> 00:12:31,060 And I know that when you join into your life group, you come in, sometimes it's weekly 279 00:12:31,060 --> 00:12:33,460 that you meet, sometimes you meet bi-weekly. 280 00:12:33,460 --> 00:12:38,440 I'm wondering what your particular life groups look like when you meet. 281 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:43,020 What types of questions or conversations do you use to guide your sessions? 282 00:12:43,020 --> 00:12:46,900 How does your life group look structurally? 283 00:12:46,900 --> 00:12:48,860 I can jump off what I was just saying. 284 00:12:48,860 --> 00:12:52,620 So yeah, we actually meet every other Sunday from one to three. 285 00:12:52,620 --> 00:12:58,180 And right now we're diving into, we just started a manuscript study, which is an inductive 286 00:12:58,180 --> 00:13:00,260 study of the Book of Mark. 287 00:13:00,260 --> 00:13:06,700 But in the past we've tried to coincide with the studies that the church is doing. 288 00:13:06,700 --> 00:13:10,860 We did an independent study that we just chose as a group. 289 00:13:10,860 --> 00:13:12,220 So is that what you mean? 290 00:13:12,220 --> 00:13:13,220 Absolutely. 291 00:13:13,220 --> 00:13:17,320 So we kind of just ask each other what we want to do and we've just been moving through 292 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:18,980 different types of studies together. 293 00:13:18,980 --> 00:13:20,340 Well, that's very nice. 294 00:13:20,340 --> 00:13:22,180 What about you, Zuri? 295 00:13:22,180 --> 00:13:29,140 We meet every Wednesday from seven to nine p.m. at Wally and Jane's home. 296 00:13:29,140 --> 00:13:33,940 And it starts with coffee and tea and desserts and fellowship. 297 00:13:33,940 --> 00:13:42,440 And at some point in time we venture into the great room to start our lesson. 298 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:49,620 And there's no, well, it's very, very interactive and there's no set agenda, I would say. 299 00:13:49,620 --> 00:13:56,020 We've had evenings where perhaps Wally and Jane have had a prepared agenda, but there 300 00:13:56,020 --> 00:14:00,700 have been people who've come in and they've had some things that are maybe heavy on their 301 00:14:00,700 --> 00:14:07,520 hearts or they just want to pick a specific, they have questions about a specific scripture 302 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:10,500 that they've read and they're struggling to get through. 303 00:14:10,500 --> 00:14:15,220 So it's very, it's very informal. 304 00:14:15,220 --> 00:14:21,260 But for the most part, we have lessons and we studied the four letters of James. 305 00:14:21,260 --> 00:14:25,340 We had a video to start that, which was fantastic. 306 00:14:25,340 --> 00:14:31,260 The graphic video and just watching the artist go all over, all over the place to make sense 307 00:14:31,260 --> 00:14:32,540 of the letters. 308 00:14:32,540 --> 00:14:35,580 It was just amazing. 309 00:14:35,580 --> 00:14:40,660 So we'll have some, we'll read some verses. 310 00:14:40,660 --> 00:14:41,660 We'll have some discussion. 311 00:14:41,660 --> 00:14:48,860 There will be some discussion questions and we'll grow and learn from that. 312 00:14:48,860 --> 00:14:52,060 So I'll just echo what Zerreen said in that. 313 00:14:52,060 --> 00:14:56,460 Yeah, with that group, we're very much trying, because it's all people that are new to the 314 00:14:56,460 --> 00:14:59,340 church, less than two years at Trinity. 315 00:14:59,340 --> 00:15:01,180 So there are a lot of questions that come up. 316 00:15:01,180 --> 00:15:04,380 We want to respond to that, not just have a set lesson. 317 00:15:04,380 --> 00:15:08,940 We have a lesson plan and we work through it, but we're prepared to set that aside and 318 00:15:08,940 --> 00:15:12,260 say, okay, there's something going on here that we should, or a question that we should 319 00:15:12,260 --> 00:15:13,260 answer. 320 00:15:13,260 --> 00:15:16,600 And one of the great things that we did, we had, we really enjoyed it when the gift of 321 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:20,720 hope service was on, that was on a Wednesday night, which is the night we meet. 322 00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:23,940 So we said, listen, instead of our regular meeting, why don't we meet for coffee at Tim 323 00:15:23,940 --> 00:15:26,460 Hortons, then go to the gift of hope service as a group. 324 00:15:26,460 --> 00:15:27,460 And we did that. 325 00:15:27,460 --> 00:15:31,580 It was really special because a lot of the people brought along friends or spouses that 326 00:15:31,580 --> 00:15:35,940 weren't part of the group, but that got to meet the group and be exposed to Trinity. 327 00:15:35,940 --> 00:15:36,940 Very nice. 328 00:15:36,940 --> 00:15:37,940 Very nice. 329 00:15:37,940 --> 00:15:38,940 Very flexible. 330 00:15:38,940 --> 00:15:39,940 Sounds like you're very flexible. 331 00:15:39,940 --> 00:15:41,220 And then what about your men's group? 332 00:15:41,220 --> 00:15:42,680 How do you structure that? 333 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:46,300 So the men's group, so obviously everything that's said in the group is confidential, 334 00:15:46,300 --> 00:15:52,340 but I think I can reveal the fact that we're virtual and Bill Crawford joins from his hot 335 00:15:52,340 --> 00:15:54,540 tub on Thursday mornings. 336 00:15:54,540 --> 00:15:55,820 Amazing. 337 00:15:55,820 --> 00:15:58,780 So that's one of the advantages of being virtual. 338 00:15:58,780 --> 00:16:03,140 But the men's group is following the sermon questions. 339 00:16:03,140 --> 00:16:08,060 So every week we're discussing the questions and talking about the sermon, at least until 340 00:16:08,060 --> 00:16:10,220 we wander off topic, which we're known to do. 341 00:16:10,220 --> 00:16:11,220 Which you're known to do. 342 00:16:11,220 --> 00:16:12,220 All right. 343 00:16:12,220 --> 00:16:13,220 At least you're honest. 344 00:16:13,220 --> 00:16:16,220 And if you have not seen that we have sermon questions, they're posted. 345 00:16:16,220 --> 00:16:19,060 They're posted every week on our website. 346 00:16:19,060 --> 00:16:25,660 You can actually ask the church and we can get you roped into our planning center, send 347 00:16:25,660 --> 00:16:27,300 them out through the groups as well to you. 348 00:16:27,300 --> 00:16:29,540 So you get notified every week when they're up. 349 00:16:29,540 --> 00:16:30,620 So that's great. 350 00:16:30,620 --> 00:16:34,740 I know my personal group, we have been working through a book study recently. 351 00:16:34,740 --> 00:16:39,540 So as you see, there's lots of different structures that we have for our life groups. 352 00:16:39,540 --> 00:16:43,800 So would you also be able to share some of the benefits that you maybe personally have 353 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:47,780 experienced or witnessed through being in a life group? 354 00:16:47,780 --> 00:16:50,520 I know we all come to them from different places. 355 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:54,900 So what benefits have you personally witnessed? 356 00:16:54,900 --> 00:16:58,380 For me, I think I alluded to this earlier. 357 00:16:58,380 --> 00:17:06,260 Just it has always been an avenue that deepens my faith because of the community aspect. 358 00:17:06,260 --> 00:17:11,220 On a Sunday, there's lots of ways to be involved, which is really beneficial and wonderful. 359 00:17:11,220 --> 00:17:14,940 But getting to know a smaller group of people and where they're at in their faith journeys 360 00:17:14,940 --> 00:17:20,820 and where they can encourage me has always been something that has benefited my faith 361 00:17:20,820 --> 00:17:21,820 journey. 362 00:17:21,820 --> 00:17:27,760 And so honestly, a deepening sense of faith and encouragement just in my life and other 363 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:31,100 things that are going on in my life, having people to pray with you and talk with you 364 00:17:31,100 --> 00:17:35,660 has been wonderful. 365 00:17:35,660 --> 00:17:36,660 Thank you. 366 00:17:36,660 --> 00:17:42,100 I would say to add to that, I mirror exactly what Rachelle said, and I would say I've 367 00:17:42,100 --> 00:17:50,340 developed meaningful relationships with people who have the same values and want to follow 368 00:17:50,340 --> 00:17:51,340 Jesus. 369 00:17:51,340 --> 00:17:55,740 I've said that before. 370 00:17:55,740 --> 00:18:01,100 The group has bonded and formed a trust with one another. 371 00:18:01,100 --> 00:18:05,580 And that is very supportive, I think, for everybody. 372 00:18:05,580 --> 00:18:11,200 And one of the things I neglected to mention during a typical week, we also end in prayer. 373 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:16,940 So we go around the room and we ask for what their prayer requests are, and everybody has 374 00:18:16,940 --> 00:18:19,380 an opportunity to pray for each other. 375 00:18:19,380 --> 00:18:24,980 And so I really feel that for me personally, I've seen prayer answered. 376 00:18:24,980 --> 00:18:30,380 I have definitely, which is so uplifting. 377 00:18:30,380 --> 00:18:36,820 And the other thing I've learned is how to interpret scripture from different perspectives 378 00:18:36,820 --> 00:18:39,660 so I can actually apply it to everyday life. 379 00:18:39,660 --> 00:18:40,900 That is really important to me. 380 00:18:40,900 --> 00:18:46,020 That was another reason that I joined Life Group, because I wanted to understand scripture 381 00:18:46,020 --> 00:18:50,140 and be top of mind in my day to day. 382 00:18:50,140 --> 00:18:51,140 I love that. 383 00:18:51,140 --> 00:18:52,140 Thank you. 384 00:18:52,140 --> 00:18:53,140 Yeah, that's great. 385 00:18:53,140 --> 00:18:57,740 Yeah, I think I'll just pick up on what Zerreen said about the bonds that are formed. 386 00:18:57,740 --> 00:19:01,420 And I think that happens even more over time. 387 00:19:01,420 --> 00:19:04,700 And when I think back about the many years that we've been involved in groups, I'll just 388 00:19:04,700 --> 00:19:06,580 pick one example. 389 00:19:06,580 --> 00:19:11,680 When this was many years ago when our kids were young and one of our girls had to go 390 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:14,700 to the hospital and the other girl, we didn't know what to do with it. 391 00:19:14,700 --> 00:19:17,120 We didn't have family in town and so forth. 392 00:19:17,120 --> 00:19:21,620 We called somebody from our Life Group and they were there literally in 10 minutes. 393 00:19:21,620 --> 00:19:24,540 They took our daughter out for ice cream and what have you. 394 00:19:24,540 --> 00:19:29,980 And we just knew that she could be looked after, we could trust them. 395 00:19:29,980 --> 00:19:32,300 There was absolutely no question. 396 00:19:32,300 --> 00:19:36,300 There's many other examples I could give over the years, but it's that sense of there's 397 00:19:36,300 --> 00:19:40,620 a bond there that you just wouldn't probably get in any other context other than by getting 398 00:19:40,620 --> 00:19:42,980 to know somebody through a Life Group over time. 399 00:19:42,980 --> 00:19:43,980 That's beautiful. 400 00:19:43,980 --> 00:19:47,180 Sometimes when we say when we're thinking about Life Groups that we're doing life together. 401 00:19:47,180 --> 00:19:48,180 Yeah. 402 00:19:48,180 --> 00:19:51,740 And after we've just heard a sermon about family and God's intent for our families, 403 00:19:51,740 --> 00:19:55,980 what a beautiful testimony to just some real life practical applications. 404 00:19:55,980 --> 00:20:00,940 So if someone out there is interested in joining a Life Group, and I know that people are, 405 00:20:00,940 --> 00:20:06,580 but they have some hesitations, do any of you have any words of encouragement for these 406 00:20:06,580 --> 00:20:10,620 people who may be contemplating joining a Life Group? 407 00:20:10,620 --> 00:20:18,060 I mean, I think for people just to know that it is a very safe and welcoming space that 408 00:20:18,060 --> 00:20:22,380 even if they want to try a group and aren't sure if it's going to work logistically for 409 00:20:22,380 --> 00:20:27,260 them, just to try it and not feel the pressure of, oh, now I need to continue going to this 410 00:20:27,260 --> 00:20:30,540 one forever because I've gone once. 411 00:20:30,540 --> 00:20:33,900 Because I think especially when we were trying to figure out how our Life Group would fit 412 00:20:33,900 --> 00:20:36,660 into our lifestyle, we obviously created one. 413 00:20:36,660 --> 00:20:41,680 But just for people who are out there, just to try it and know that there's no judgment, 414 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:46,940 it's safe, it's welcoming, and to remind them again that it's just been a super encouraging 415 00:20:46,940 --> 00:20:48,020 thing for me. 416 00:20:48,020 --> 00:20:52,380 And so I would hope that they would also feel that way if they came. 417 00:20:52,380 --> 00:20:53,380 Thank you. 418 00:20:53,380 --> 00:20:54,380 Thank you. 419 00:20:54,380 --> 00:20:55,660 So you've sold me. 420 00:20:55,660 --> 00:20:57,280 I'm going to join a Life Group. 421 00:20:57,280 --> 00:20:58,460 How do I do it? 422 00:20:58,460 --> 00:21:03,180 I know there's a few different ways that we can join a Life Group or even just ask more 423 00:21:03,180 --> 00:21:04,180 questions. 424 00:21:04,180 --> 00:21:08,020 So what are some of the steps that I would go to now if I'm interested? 425 00:21:08,020 --> 00:21:11,220 So I'm a techie, so I'm going to suggest Church Centre. 426 00:21:11,220 --> 00:21:12,220 Church Centre. 427 00:21:12,220 --> 00:21:14,980 Through the Church Centre app, you can see the groups that are there. 428 00:21:14,980 --> 00:21:19,540 You can express interest in the group and then use it once you join the group to access 429 00:21:19,540 --> 00:21:20,540 resources. 430 00:21:20,540 --> 00:21:21,540 Excellent. 431 00:21:21,540 --> 00:21:22,540 Yeah. 432 00:21:22,540 --> 00:21:24,340 So if you are part of Trinity, you can join the Church Centre app. 433 00:21:24,340 --> 00:21:27,220 And there's some instructions online how to do that. 434 00:21:27,220 --> 00:21:28,220 And excellent. 435 00:21:28,220 --> 00:21:29,600 One way is Church Centre. 436 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:30,860 Thank you. 437 00:21:30,860 --> 00:21:34,580 Another way would be getting in touch with Sally Hirkman, which is, I hope I get her 438 00:21:34,580 --> 00:21:35,580 email right. 439 00:21:35,580 --> 00:21:37,620 It's just sally at trinitystreetsville.org. 440 00:21:37,620 --> 00:21:38,620 Perfect. 441 00:21:38,620 --> 00:21:47,140 So you can email her and she oversees all the Life Group stuff. 442 00:21:47,140 --> 00:21:49,220 So she would be someone to get in contact with. 443 00:21:49,220 --> 00:21:50,220 Excellent. 444 00:21:50,220 --> 00:21:53,300 So just to clarify, it's sally at trinitystreetsville.org. 445 00:21:53,300 --> 00:21:54,300 That's right. 446 00:21:54,300 --> 00:21:55,300 Right. 447 00:21:55,300 --> 00:22:01,480 And another way is to get invited by somebody who is a member of a current Life Group. 448 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:04,100 That's how my husband is actually involved with the men's group. 449 00:22:04,100 --> 00:22:08,820 And he was invited by someone who was already in the men's group. 450 00:22:08,820 --> 00:22:09,820 That's great. 451 00:22:09,820 --> 00:22:12,420 And just so you know, everyone who's watching, we didn't rehearse that, but that was a perfect 452 00:22:12,420 --> 00:22:13,420 answer. 453 00:22:13,420 --> 00:22:15,340 That was just, that flowed so beautifully. 454 00:22:15,340 --> 00:22:17,900 One other way is there's a Life Group interest form. 455 00:22:17,900 --> 00:22:22,660 So if you are interested here at church, there are some forms over at the welcome desk that 456 00:22:22,660 --> 00:22:25,940 are called Life Group interest form, and you can fill out your information that way as 457 00:22:25,940 --> 00:22:27,540 well. 458 00:22:27,540 --> 00:22:30,420 I love that Wally mentioned that his group is online. 459 00:22:30,420 --> 00:22:35,420 If you happen to be watching online or you're not able to get out on an evening or early 460 00:22:35,420 --> 00:22:39,580 morning, you can join online because we do have some online groups as well. 461 00:22:39,580 --> 00:22:42,980 A lot of them were born out of COVID, which is one of those beautiful things that came 462 00:22:42,980 --> 00:22:47,980 from the pandemic is that we've learned to connect over technology. 463 00:22:47,980 --> 00:22:50,980 I myself zoom into my Life Group as well. 464 00:22:50,980 --> 00:22:56,840 So we are starting up a couple new online groups in addition to a couple in-person groups. 465 00:22:56,840 --> 00:22:58,860 So don't let that be a deterrent for you. 466 00:22:58,860 --> 00:23:02,780 If you're interested in joining, there's a way to join Life Groups. 467 00:23:02,780 --> 00:23:04,180 So thank you very much. 468 00:23:04,180 --> 00:23:05,180 Thank you so much, Wally. 469 00:23:05,180 --> 00:23:12,460 This was a great conversation and I'm so grateful for the element of community that Life Groups 470 00:23:12,460 --> 00:23:13,460 bring to Trinity. 471 00:23:13,460 --> 00:23:14,460 Thank you very much. 472 00:23:14,460 --> 00:23:29,460 Thank you very much, Wally.