Culture of Connected Motherhood
Thank you for reading the first blog post of Connected Motherhood, I am so grateful for a place to create long form resources that connect you to this ministry and aim to build you up in your journey through parenting.
This first blog post is dedicated to everything I want you to know about the goals and culture of Lighthouse Home Groups. Firstly, they are the backbone of Connected Motherhood, intended to facilitate deep connections with your neighboring community. While many of us attend services at EVERYDAY Mpls together, you are welcome to gather with us from outside of that congregation as well. But I would be remiss to say that the covering of Connect Groups through my home church of EVERYDAY hasn’t helped to grow this ministry in safety and leadership from their pastoral care and over site, though we are autonomous and not a direct representative of their mantle. Lighthouses meet in multiple home locations across the twin cities and we are always looking for leaders who would want to bring community in the place where they live to spread His much needed light across our many connected suburbs and neighborhoods. These particular groups are best suited for women who have children younger than kindergarten age or about the range of 6 months to 6 years old. This season stands out as one of tremendous formation in both yours and your child’s soul and our goal is to unlock the profound glory and purpose God has hidden in these years. These are the goals we hope to accomplish in gathering:
1) Build your village! We were not meant to mother alone, and in this generation, mothers are more isolated from one another and their families of origin than ever before. So set yourself up with some group fellowship and then pursue the women independently for an even stronger level of connection. We are better together!
2) Learn and grow! We believe that mothering in community is an opportunity to sharpen one another, stay humble with an attitude of openness, and to validate the range of chaotic and beautiful experiences that so many of us have in private with our children. Group leaders will provide time for meaningful discussion around thought provoking questions as well as opportunities for open sharing and prayer support.
Culture of Lighthouse: our goal is to express the values of celebration, honor and hunger for the sake of creating unity among sisters of Christ who provide for one another the safety and encouragement required to grow up into our calling as Mothers on Mission. One way to think of these cultures is as a code of conduct, or systems of operation by which our success is determined by upholding these core tenants of our faith. 1 Thes. 5:16 says it perfectly, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Celebration
In every changing season of motherhood, we know that God is faithful and present to us, so we can maintain a joy rooted deep down in our hope of Him, verses our hope of change or relief in any circumstance. We recognize what God is doing in each other and express our thankfulness to one another’s light! Psalm 118:24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Honor
We support each mamas obedience to the Lord in her decision making even if it looks different from someone else. We aim that our speech would be full of grace and seasoned with salt (Col. 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person). We value the diversity of calling each woman has and trust her with the stewardship of her home, body, and family.
Hunger
We are humble learners in a sanctification process (1 Thes. 5:23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.) and so we seek alignment with the Lord in all things. Likewise, we pursue unity in the Holy Spirit as we urge one another towards him as the head and encourage one another in the Word and through prayer.
Cultures now stated, we hope that as you press into each one of the three in thought and prayer as an individual that we can shine brighter together as we gather unto Him with commonality. May your fellowship in this next year be rich as you build yourself together into one body. Bless you and your crew!
Sincerely,
Ashley Pullar
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You may want to reflect on these questions in a group setting. If you aren’t in a Lighthouse Home Group, feel free to use these on a coffee date with a friend, discuss with your spouse, or simply journal them in conversation with the Lord! Feel free to come back to iterations of these questions often as the seasons change to build testimony and stir yourself up to see the Lord move in your life.
What are you looking forward to most about starting this season of Lighthouse Home Groups, any particular needs that you are hoping for community to help fulfill here?
(Celebration) How have you seen God move in your life recently, whether an answered prayer, or through provision of finance, wisdom, friendship etc..?
(Hunger) What is the Lord teaching you right now, or are there any major ways you’re seeking to learn from Him or to experience his character in this season?