Just Like Mom and Dad
02/18/2018 .They had just finished small group and were headed home for the evening. Erin walked in the front door, followed by her husband, Alex, and two boys, Lucas and Alexander. The next day was a school day, so Erin helped the boys through their nightly routine — brushing teeth, putting on PJs, and getting ready for bed. She told the kids to head to bed and walked downstairs to help Alex tidy up and get things ready for the week ahead.
A little while later, Erin still heard noise coming from upstairs. The excited voices of two little boys — still chatting, and obviously not in bed. Erin crept up the stairs and approached their bedroom. The door was slightly cracked, and Erin paused just outside to listen. What she heard took her completely by surprise.
Lucas and Alexander were sitting on their bedroom floor, with their kids’ Bible spread out before them. They had just finished reading through one of the stories and had all their stuffed animals organized in a circle around them. Erin stood there listening for a few minutes before the boys noticed their mom watching. When they turned around and saw her, Erin asked what they were doing. The boys explained that they were holding their own small group — just like they had witnessed their parents doing earlier that evening. Erin couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She ran and grabbed Alex to show him what their boys were up to.
“We’ve been in our small group since we started attending Saddleback,” Erin said. “This whole time we didn’t realize the ripple effect that our boys were picking up on these habits that we’ve been doing as a couple.”
“Being in a small group is impacting us as a married couple and giving us a foundation to build our home on,” Erin continued. “And the kids are noticing what we’re doing. Sometimes people are hesitant to join a small group when they have young kids, but use that as an encouragement, not a hindrance.”
