An Unexpected Family
Scott and Stacy reluctantly became Community Group leaders and God worked through their obedience in amazing ways!
Like a child learning to ride a bike, sometimes, we need a push from God to find our way toward something new.
We’re frequently reluctant at first, and its only years later that we realize how God brought us to a better place. For Scott and Stacy Deno, their Woodmen Community group has become one of these gradual and unexpected gifts from God.
When Stacy initially approached Scott about her desire to start a Community Group, he was less than thrilled. “I was the one who was like, I don’t want to do it. No thanks. I’m good,” Scott recalls. Scott reluctantly agreed to test the waters by hosting a group for a single nine-week block.
Scott remembers their first meeting vividly: “I was pretty open with the guys in the group. I told them, ‘I don’t know about anybody else, but I was kind of forced to be here.’” Although Scott’s opening admission might not make the list of pro-tips for new group leaders, over time the Deno’s group became closer to each other and to Jesus.
“As the months went on, it became clear that this was what we were supposed to be doing. It became less of a thing to do, and more of something we wanted to do. The group became our family,” Scott says.
The group has walked through a lot together. Scott sums it up: “The highs, the lows, a lot to celebrate. We experienced some tragedies along the way, but in those, we realized that this is why God put us together — to be here for all those things.” Stacy reflects, “We had a marriage, multiple births, deaths … And we were always there to support each other.”
The group members also learned a lot from each other through the years. Scott smiles, “Andrew and Veronica, their knowledge of the Bible, being able to go, ‘Have you read this verse? Hey, this is going on, you should read this.’ They’ve encouraged me to learn more about the Bible so that when somebody else is going through hard situations, I can say, ‘You should check out this passage!’
Scott continues, “Another couple, they’re Air Force cadets, and this guy gives so much depth to the questions. We’re encouraged to dive deeper and to figure out what things really mean.”
Through the years, God has patiently and faithfully shown Scott and Stacy that He brought their Group together for more than just a weekly study. They’ve made lifelong friends. Stacy fondly remembers one group member saying they never would have picked us out as friends, but they’re so glad God put us together!
Scott smiles, “God had to use the backdoor approach to get me connected with His people, and over time He opened my eyes to see that I have a family right here."
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