Church with no Dining Room

(Sorry Darren, to steal and adjust one of your lines! :) )

I've wanted to get a weekly gathering going for a very long time. The type of small house-church community group that so many others are invovled in. I have no experience in doing this at all, but I'm not sure I necessarily NEED to be "qualified" - correct me if I'm wrong, those of you who are already doing this!

I tried a Bible study group once with 2 friends, but they were both students and it petered out when they left for the holidays. We were also semi-at-sea with what to do and how to study. I think I've learnt a bit since then.

The main thing holding me back is space. I live in a small one-bedroom flat. My son's "room" is a space behind a couch and bookshelf, in the only large enough room to be called lounge. We also have a small kitchen, my room and a bathroom. I can fit a few folk in for a visit now and then, but not more than a few. There is a garden out front, but weather doesn't always allow us to enjoy it.

We have no diningroom - my son actually asked me what one was the other day! Poor deprived child...:) To share a meal would mean dishing up in my tiny kitchen and balancing your plate on your knees.

I find myself thinking that "one day" I'll be able to do it, when I have space to do it and when I feel I can keep it going. We're in the process of moving to Australia, so to begin something now would be useless.

Or would it? Perhaps it would start something good off that would continue when I left. It might just be I'm trying to find excuses not to put myself out there and do something different. I could be hiding behind the "but"s to keep from stepping out of my comfort zone and making a move. I don't know.

I think God's got this kind of gathering planned for me. I don't know when or how. I have a lot of thinking to do, a lot of soul-searching to find my motives for wanting to do this and for why I haven't already.

I think I'll do some deep thinking during my Sabbath hours. I might come up with an answer, or I might not. I may only find deep thoughts to be another step on the journey. But you never know...