oanie Weeks: Where we really got to know each other was the snowstorm of ’21.
Patrick Kuhlmeier: Oh. Snowgeddon.
Joanie Weeks: Snowgeddon. Where nine of us ended up in the same house for a week. And Becca and I got very creative with what to cook for a week to feed all of us.
Becca Kuhlmeier: How to entertain lots of children.
Joanie Weeks: Yes.
Jerry Weeks: When we share a life together, it’s not superficial. I mean, when they hurt, we hurt. And we celebrate their successes, and they celebrate ours. It’s very, very special. And that’s God’s hand in all of this.
Becca Kuhlmeier: So I was diagnosed officially with breast cancer actually in September. And it’s been amazing how the growth groups have, even the whole church, has come around, care baskets, the meals, picking up my boys, so they don’t have to sit at home all day, so they have play dates, laundry, house cleaning.
Patrick Kuhlmeier: They painted our house.
Becca Kuhlmeier: They painted our house.
Patrick Kuhlmeier: There’s just the prayers, the phone calls.
Becca Kuhlmeier: Checking in.
Patrick Kuhlmeier: Checking in. As a dad that’s deployed or gone a lot with my job and knowing that’s Becca’s house, that’s her domain, and me having to drop into it and try to run things, having people that I could just pick up the phone, be like, “Hey, I need help,” and I have five, six families just jumping in saying, “Hey, this is who we are. We want to help. Can we come do this?” The whole growth group has allowed me to put my family’s well-being and health and trust in other people’s hands, saying, “Hey, we got you.”
Joanie Weeks: I know Patrick speaks of family, and I think about, this is Jerry’s in my 18th year at First Baptist, and we’ve been a part of many growth groups, and when I think back, I just see a big web of family trees all with one core, and that is Christ Jesus. And we are all called to be the hands and feet of Jesus. And we have seen that happen over and over again through the years here. And you are now just a part of our tree, and we’re so thankful.
Becca Kuhlmeier: I say take the leap of faith and get involved. Because if you’re just coming to church, you’re missing half of church. If you’re not involved with the growth group, I mean, you’re not going to grow. You’re just going to listen to a sermon and go home.
Joanie Weeks: We can’t get to know each other until we are living life together and a part of a growth group.
Jerry Weeks: My greatest maturity in the Lord has come from being in the growth groups that we’ve been in through over the years.
Joanie Weeks: We serve a sovereign, all-knowing God, and there’s no coincidence that you two are part of our Growth Group. God knew that you would need people to come around and get in the trench with you and love you, and serve you, and we have seen that provision over and over. So it’s been such a blessing with all of the people in our growth group.
Jerry Weeks: If you’re concerned about… no, I don’t know anybody, take a chance. You will be welcomed with open arms and with love.
Patrick Kuhlmeier: No matter what we’re walking through, you know there’s somebody who’s going to be there to love you.
