We live in a lonely culture. Studies show that most Americans experience loneliness. They deeply desire meaningful relationships. Through the years, Stonecroft has encouraged and inspired women to open their homes for women to connect over food, conversation, and friendship.
We continue to offer even more opportunities to connect women in this meaningful way. Next spring, Stonecroft will introduce our newest national outreach, Where Love Lives. The video-based outreach dives into the principles of love and how they affect our relationships with each other, ourselves, and God. The Gospel is tenderly presented with an invitation to accept the love like no other, the love of God through Jesus Christ.
This outreach draws women age 20 to 90-plus to welcoming, small groups held in homes with trained group facilitators.
Where Love Lives kicks off Feb. 22 with a livestream into homes across the United States. This will set the stage for continued video discussions in the following weeks.
The outreach, created by Suzy Shepherd, Central Divisional Field Director, was piloted this past spring in 12 strategic locations across the country. Stonecroft volunteers invited friends and neighbors, allowing both believers and nonbelievers to build relationships that led to faith conversations. After the sessions concluded, some pilot participants sought to continue these relationships through other Stonecroft resources such as Stonecroft Bible Studies and Conversations groups.
“I feel like each of the women gained some insight into being a friend and how to reach out to women around them and begin building friendships,” wrote Cindy Bair, a pilot facilitator. She noted how various participants planned to use what they discovered about relationships with their co-workers, neighbors, and family members, as well as in their difficult life situations.
In addition to facilitator training – including how to share the Gospel through their story – groups will be supported through resources to help in the outreach promotion and group experience. The Where Love Lives group lasts four to eight weeks, depending on the frequency of individual groups’ gatherings.
Interested in facilitating a Where Love Lives group in your home or church? Visit stonecroft.org/wherelovelives.