A Community Worth Fighting For
DANIEL & ABBEY JORDANDaniel and Abbey Jordan had been following TVC from a distance, and when they moved to Texas from Colorado in 2015, they hoped to make deep connections quickly.
“We’d do life together in all the ways. Raise kids together, love our neighbors, grow gray together, and live happily ever after in a deep spiritual community,” said Daniel. “While we have experienced some of this over the years, it turns out finding and fostering a long-term community is hard. Really hard!”
Over the last eight years, the Lord has expanded their view of biblical community through the Home Groups ministry.
“He has shown us it is not linear. It is rarely idealistic,” said Daniel. “It isn’t a checklist. It doesn’t happen on our timing. And it doesn’t always fit within manmade structures or programs.”
Daniel and Abbey found that it requires showing up over and over, time after time. Home Groups has shaped their life for the better in following Jesus in three ways: making an invisible God visible, making a big church feel smaller, and showing how we can all participate in the 2030 Vision together.
“One of the ways Satan most often attacks me is through skepticism,” said Daniel. “He gets me to accuse God of not being real, of not being present and active.” The Lord showed Daniel a few years ago that when he struggles with doubt the most is when he’s alone and not in community. “When I am locked arm to arm with brothers and sisters committed to the same fight, I am a better husband, father, and coworker. And I’m also far less susceptible to Satan’s lies.”
“For me, I struggle with trusting people,” said Abbey. “But slowly, as I let my guard down more and more, [Home Group] became a place where I could actually be known, loved, and encouraged in truth.”
“Maybe you find yourself already in a Home Group and it’s awesome,” said Daniel. “If so, praise God for this blessing, and thank your leader. Maybe you’re in a Home Group and it’s been a struggle. We would say, keep fighting, it’s worth it. Maybe you're not in a Home Group, maybe you’ve tried it before. We get it. Try again. Fight for it. If we would have given up, we would have lost so much that we needed deeply. Deep work, over time, in community.”
“For me, I struggle with trusting people,” said Abbey. “But slowly, as I let my guard down more and more, [Home Group] became a place where I could actually be known, loved, and encouraged in truth.”
“Maybe you find yourself already in a Home Group and it’s awesome,” said Daniel. “If so, praise God for this blessing, and thank your leader. Maybe you’re in a Home Group and it’s been a struggle. We would say, keep fighting, it’s worth it. Maybe you're not in a Home Group, maybe you’ve tried it before. We get it. Try again. Fight for it. If we would have given up, we would have lost so much that we needed deeply. Deep work, over time, in community.”
