On only the second-ever Sunday I attended Blue Ridge, I heard about the Encounter group, which was starting up again for a new year. As the announcer began to describe who the Encounter group is intended for, I became overcome with this feeling that she was speaking about me.
I had been attending Encounter for a few weeks, when I began to realize that what I was missing was Jesus. I believed in Jesus, but I had never opened my heart and received him as John 1:12 says. The Encounter group was where I stepped into a relationship with Christ! Now, as a leader, I have watched others put their stakes in the ground and say “yes” to Jesus.
The Encounter group meets every Tuesday night starting in September all the way through April. Each night, as we walked through the book of John, chapter by chapter, Senior Pastor Woody Torrence challenges us to answer the following questions:
- Who is this man Jesus?
- What does He want from us?
We sit in groups of five to eight people. The night starts off with a few ice breaker questions and then Woody takes us through the book of John. He reads each verse and pauses to teach us what God intended for us to take away. I have been attending Encounter for three years now and each night I learn something new and am amazed at how God moves in this environment.
I would encourage those who are not sure if they have a relationship with Christ, those who question who Jesus or those who just feel something is missing is to give Encounter a try — it could change your life. I was skeptical at first because I thought I knew it all and did not need anyone to tell me more. But I met Jesus one night at Encounter and my life drastically changed.
Encounter meets on Tuesday nights at 7 pm, starting September 9.