Dispatch from the North of Durham (One Community Group’s Story)

Written by Fine Song

A little over a year ago, my wife Lauren and I asked the pastors at Waypoint if there would be any interest in starting a small group near Duke’s East campus where we live (Trinity Park). At the time, there was no interest, but over the past year, as we have been praying about this, God brought several new people to Waypoint who ended up living in this area. We launched the small group several weeks ago alongside Brian and Savanna Grasso.

In our second week of meeting, we started as we usually start out, with worship. Instead of a preset song list, we asked people for their requests. We started off with an oldie but goodie, “Lord I Lift Your Name on High” (1989). Then one by one, the requests trickled down:

Here I Am to Worship (2001)

Come Thou Fount (1758)

As the Deer (1991)

Note, a lot of the people present were in their 20s but most of the songs we sang were from 20+ years ago.

This really spoke to me, as a nearly 40-year-old and one of the geriatric members of the group, I expected people to request Hillsong United or other more contemporary artists’ songs. But the classics in Christian music remain in the hearts and minds of the younger generation of believers.

All this to say, just as certain songs resonate through generations, God’s Word and community remains the core of our Christian lives. I was also reminded of 1 Timothy 4:12, as our younger co-leading Grassos shared their testimony and reminded everyone of the “one another” verses, cementing the importance of both one’s individual stories of redemption and deliverance but also of the vital necessity of Christian community in one’s faith journey.