Today’s sermon was about small groups. About becoming a part of a group of people that can encourage you in your heart issues. Encourage you in your spiritual walk.
In Matthew 15:17-19 Jesus says, “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” Our pastor made the point that no matter how hard you work at your family, your job and your relationships, if you’re not working on the inside of you–everything in your life is going to be bad.
And where can we work on ourselves? The world doesn’t have anything to offer. Self-help books won’t do it. Even just going to Sunday morning church only dumps information on you. He suggests you do what Hebrews says, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another…” (10:25a). We need to get together with people who can encourage us in our walk with God.
So, the the essence of the sermon was to get you into joining a small group this fall. I agree and disagree. I do know you can’t be a lone ranger Christian. You’ve got to have people that can say, “How’s your anger been this week?” OR “Did you keep your eyes off the bad shows this week?” But for me, that has never happened in a structured “small group”. I was in a few at our church in Birmingham and it was a place for us to hang out and talk, but it wasn’t a place that I felt encouraged in my walk.
For me, I’ve made real relationships with the people I serve with. When I set up and tear down alongside of two other girls, I form bonds. When I work on a lesson with several teachers, we share a part of our lives. Serving is what brings relationship for me. And in my experience, the parents who serve in church have the kids that serve the Lord when they are older. Kids that see their parents working for God respect them enough to follow their example. I, personally, don’t see kids understanding the spiritual need for eating dinner together once a week.
Do you do small groups? How has it affected you? Where do you find the people that can encourage you in your walk with Jesus?
Oh, and my favorite song from today’s service:
I haven’t “done” small groups recently…I find my encouragement primarily in one-on-one relationships. At the same time the desire is definitely there for me to be involved in a small group.
Have a blessed day.
edith
My wife and I attended a Bible study in the home a friends sister for awhile and we found it very encouraging. We felt that we could be honest about our struggles, and we were learning alot. The study stopped and we missed the small group setting. Our church has Sunday School and Bible Studies but they aren’t very participatory. We recently got connected with a group again, and we actually find the small group setting very encouraging and more personal than sitting in Church on Sunday morning. I think that a small group is a good place to form lasting and meaningful relationships with other Christians and grow in ones walk with Christ.
God Bless
Aaron
I’m on the same page as you with small groups. I’ve never had a great experience with them. They always seem good in theory, like something we have to do right away! But in the end, I’ve also formed closer relationships alongside those I serve with.
Oh my Word! I love small group! I have been in several over the years, and I really grew in my relationship with God and with those in my group. There is something about the openness and vulnerability required that just works to push you on to deeper levels. I really like the way that North Point does them, too. The model is good. I just met up with some of my old small “groupies” the other night for dinner, and it was so good to see them. I would say that they are some of the people on this earth who know me the best even though our group only met for 2 years until we split off to make new groups. Man, I miss that group!
Tim and I are actually the leaders of our small group. It’s been amazing to be a part and be able to minister to one another. Having community is so crucial in spiritual growth, it’s hard to imagine where we’d be without it. It’s so refreshing to hear of other churches and even other denominations pushing small groups. I don’t think we’ll ever not be a part of one.
We’ve had trouble with small groups. About five years ago, our church got excited about this type of ministry, so all the young married folks and unattached folks were thrown into a “small” group. The attendance would usually be about 20 people, which to me is a little big for a small group.
Then Wife and I had to go and get pregnant, and that was the beginning of the end for our small group experience.
We launched a smaller group from the large group, composed of folks with little babies and folks who were trying to have little babies. But you know what the schedules of this demographic are like.
We have recently reconvened our group as a Sunday School class, because we all have access to the nursery during that hour!
I agree with you that people do bond together when they serve together, but to me that is a small group. They might have a different agenda than just hanging out but something about working on something together helps tear away that uncomfortable feeling of having to share with others.
The hubs and I lead a small group here in our home, and it’s taken a little while to bond. But, we have, and I love each couple that comes. We all are so different, and in a smaller setting, I’ve found people will open up. I was blown away when a guy at our first ever life group admitted he was battling depression and had been for years, and needed us to pray for him. His wife said that he would have never admitted that in a bigger group. Another man in our group has had a burden for him ever since. We do eat together, and that has increased our bonding.
I hope that you can get attached to a great group of people who will encourage you, and pray for you!
Other than ministry small groups, my ‘small group’ experiences consist of of memories of the good ole care group days … there’s nothing fonder than memories of dinners at Charlie & Esther Biggs house … man how my relationship with God blossomed!!
So I’m with you … I remember during our stint at NPCC being pushed into one, but even that experience wasn’t good. The grouping just didn’t make any sense, but I’m sure I also just had a bad attitude about it b/c I was so tired of being pushed into a ‘small group’ … honestly I even grew to hate that word (I just realized that reading your post)!!
My first reaction to this was ‘of course small groups work this way’, but as I think about it I have to be honest and admit that small groups, for us, have never been intimate. I’ve seen them be intimate for others though, so it is possible to have a deep connection in this type setting.
I have found my deep connections (where I get encouragement and challenge) in ladies bible studies and one on one relationships outside a group setting.
Since moving to our new little town, we’re still on the search for a new home church. So we hope once we get settled, we will find a small group or two. I do have a couple friends whose faith is so very strong, and it’s they, right now, who keep me standing most of the time.
MY PARENTS HAD A SMALL GROUP THAT WORKED JUST AS IT SHOULD HAVE. AS A TEENAGER I HATED IT BECAUSE I HAD TO CART ALL THE KIDS BACK AND FORTH FROM OUR HOUSE TO THE CHILD CARE AT CHURCH. I THINK FOR A GOOD SMALL GROUP YOU NEED A STRONG LEADER OR IT EASILY BECOMES A SOCIAL GROUP ONLY.
I think the bent of a person and the personality of the small group is what should determind participation in any “small group.” Some people need that conversational interaction of a small group- the intimacy, the sharing. While others are drained by that sort of group, especially if it’s on a regular basis. Others are energized by networking a small group of people together to accomplish a common goal- especially in ministry. As you now, I am DEFINITELY in the latter, not the former group- But I think small groups need to define their purpose and recruit the type of people who are energized by that style of group. I will say one thing though- a “small group” church, as it is commonly defined is not for me!!! Get out there enlarging God’s Kingdom with a small group- and I’m there!!