Of all the things Community Groups have provided in my life, connection to others in the city stands out as having a truly profound impact.
I’ll never forget the scariest moment I had in New York. I was working a retail job and had to be to work by 6am on a Saturday. If you’ve lived in New York any number of years, you know that there’s no one except Starbucks workers awake before 10am on a Saturday, so I knew I wouldn’t need to plan for traffic holding me up.
I was walking down 5th Ave, crossing 29th Street when I had the startling realization that I was completely alone. There wasn’t a single person within eyeshot in any direction I looked, and instant panic set in. “What if I’m abducted? No one will know.” “What if I fall and hurt myself and I’m dead by the time anyone finds me?” Or worst of all, “What if no one else in New York ever wakes up and I’m left to fend for myself ‘I Am Legend style?’”
I realize my reactions were a bit dramatic, but the reality still stands that being alone is scary, and it’s scary because it’s unnatural. We were created by God to be in community, surrounded by people who love us and care for us.
Community Groups offer a safe place to experience that connectivity. I’ve been in a Community Group every season they’ve been offered, and I’ve come out of every single one of them with great new relationships, new revelations and insights into who God is, and loads of fun memories with fantastic people.
The reality of life is that it doesn’t take empty streets at 6am in the streets of New York to bring on the fear of loneliness. It’s possible to go through an entire day surrounded by people but alone on the inside. At Liberty, we refuse to believe that this has to be the norm. If you need some great friends to walk through life with, or if you’ve already found great friendships and you’re ready to share that friendship to others, there is a Community Group for you!
With thirty different Community Groups offered this season, there’s a fit for every person: women’s groups, men’s groups, coed groups, art groups, food groups, social groups, etc. They’re on different days of the week, at different times, and in different places all over Greater NYC.
We’re on a mission to eradicate loneliness right here in NYC. Join us, and sign up for a Community Group today!
