Do you dare?

The concept was introduced to me roughly 4 years ago now and has influenced most of my life decisions ever since… Let's rewind to early 2020 (pre-pandemic). I was 6 months into my Midwifery degree and about to become the small group co-ordinator for my university's Christian Union.  

At a conference for all CU committees in my area, I began to really wrestle with what it would look like to create a community of alongsiders (though I didn't know it was called this yet) within my context, rather than simply coordinating a couple of Bible study groups on campus. This was all entangled with a dream that I had years before.  

I have had this on my heart for so long that I can't really remember when or where it began! I have been longing to see community hubs reinstated across England (particularly in the rural Forest of Dean, where I am from), for I have seen firsthand the effects of the breakdown of community and the loneliness epidemic. 

So, there I was at this conference, scared by the vastness of the thoughts in my own head, and I had to talk to someone about this. Their advice to me: Dream big, my friend!  Funnily enough this was all they needed to say to free me from the fear that was crippling me. They gave me permission to dream daringly about the plans that God could have in store for me. That was my first turning point.

Go big 

We all know what happened next… COVID-19. However, this did not dampen my ideas, but allowed me the space to try a few things out. All of a sudden, my small role of 'the small groups' became the heart and soul of the CU, which would only continue if deep relationships were forged. So, I (yet not I but through Christ in me) began creating a culture of ‘alongsiding’ – meeting up with individuals 1-to-1, seeking to help them grow with God and encouraging them (and some others) to do the same. These are now some of my closest friends. But it wasn’t until last year that I got to understand what this looked like on a larger scale.

During my last 2 years of uni, the student work at my church was led partly by a Navigator couple (Daniel and Lisa), who offered such warmth and came alongside me at one of the hardest times in my life so far. In January 2023, I failed the final part of my Midwifery degree and thus was left very confused and hurt. Everything I had been working towards for more than 5 years was over. But I had not been dreaming big.

One morning, a month or so later, Lisa approached me with a proposition. ‘How much do you know about Navigators?’ I knew that they both worked for a charity but knew very little else, so she explained. As she spoke about their work in community building and alongsiding, my brain went into overdrive – she’s explaining my dream to me!’

This cause that I had been envisioning for so long, already existed – it had been right in front of my eyes for two years! Lisa invited me to do the internship programme, Connect, here in Leicester, which I am now 9 months into. It has been such a wonderful experience to learn, grow and understand what alongsiding looks like biblically, in various life contexts and as part of a wider culture.

Even bigger 

Do you dare to dream big? I don’t know exactly what God has in store for me going forward, especially in view of my dream, but I know that our God is very big, and much bigger than any dream we could ever have.  

God longs to see communities of people doing life with one another far more than I can imagine.  

Take a look at Isaiah 54:1-3 and ask God to help you dream big:  

“Sing, barren woman, who has never had a baby.
     Fill the air with song, you who’ve never experienced childbirth!
You’re ending up with far more children
than all those childbearing women.” God says so!
“Clear lots of ground for your tents!
Make your tents large. Spread out! Think big!
Use plenty of rope,
drive the tent pegs deep.
You’re going to need lots of elbow room
for your growing family.
You’re going to take over whole nations;
     you’re going to resettle abandoned cities.” 

(MSG, italics added)

God has something for you far bigger and better than you can imagine!