Groups Investigating God

A Sunday about a month ago I was feeling worn out and discouraged. Not wanting to drive across town, I decided to attend a large church nearby instead of my own. As the girl next to me sat down after worship, a piece of paper fell out of her Bible. But it wasn't just any paper-- it was the John 1-4 manuscript I had designed for Urbana09! A perfect stranger, right next to me, holding my work. On a day I was feeling inconsequential. Whoa. I wanted to know more."Did you go to Urbana?" I asked, after the service. "No," she said, "but I really want to! I have this because my friend gave it to me. We are doing a GIG together. Have you heard of those?"  (GIG's, or Groups Investigating God, are Bible studies for curious non-Christians.) Yes, I had! I told her I had designed what she had there, and that I also had used it for a GIG with friends last year. I told her I would pray for their GIG. "Thanks," she said, "have a good rest of your day!" and she hurried off. I was stunned..and encouraged.

I was reminded to tell you that encounter this week because two different staff have reported being asked to start very interesting GIGs: at Tufts University in Boston the free thought group asked if the InterVarsity intern would do a GIG for them, and at University of Chicago a feminist reading group asked the InterVarsity chapter president if she would lead a GIG for them. 

Please pray for all these GIGs, that they would lead non-Christian and Christian alike to know God better.