Gaining Some Perspective About Small/Growth Group Ministry
Do you ever think about times from the past and consider the changes we’ve experienced? Change is a natural part of life and when it provides an appropriate sense of advancement or improvement, it’s usually good—but sometimes it’s helpful to pause and analyze how it has impacted our lives in a specific way. Before you say I’m sounding like an “old—timer,” please realize that technology has been the major source for what’s taken place and the rate of change has escalated at an enormous pace since the year 2000, or so.
With regard for the focus of this article, small group ministries are a relatively new concept compared to many of the other activities that are part of “church life.” Some Christian leaders would suggest that in many churches (and probably the majority would be similar to ours), small groups have replaced the Sunday night worship service, and possibly some other events that used to be more common. When I was growing up—and through much of my adult life—Sunday included both morning and evening church attendance. Another weekly ministry that used to be part of our regular routine was a mid—week prayer gathering often combined with Bible study, typically on Wednesday evenings. Please realize that I’m not in any way suggesting that I’d like to revert back to that type of a schedule, but in reflecting on this, it seems important to understand what level of commitment is/was involved in being active in the church; and also what other options were provided to encourage spiritual growth. In reality, typically there were more church classes and activities that I could mention, but this is a brief summary. And personally I have many fond memories attached to what I’m describing and long before I became a pastor, they had a major influence in how my lifestyle was shaped. But there’s something more important to note from my experience. What I’m describing had an even greater impact on how my relationship with the Lord was shaped. Active and consistent participation in what our church offered to encourage spiritual growth and discipleship was a major factor in equipping me for ministry.
—Hebrews 10:24—25
Let us consider how to motivate one another toward love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day.
Please notice what I’ve inserted above from Hebrews 10. The author of Hebrews is placing a strong emphasis on the role each faithful follower of the Lord has in encouraging, stimulating, motivating, and inspiring one another to stand out as a testimony and witness to the world around us. God wants us to have a mutual accountability toward one another and that happens best within a more intimate setting. Small groups provide that. It gives us a place where we can help one another grow deeper in our faith—where we can discuss what the Lord is doing in our personal lives—where we can say things or ask questions on a personal level—where we can enjoy the benefits and blessings of confidentiality without the fear of being misunderstood—and where we can pray for one another’s specific requests.
Pastor Blake and I are trying to re—establish and re—energize the ministry of growth/small groups within our church. The past couple years have impacted all of us and have limited what we could do in this area of ministry. It’s likely that we’ll be making some adjustments as we go and possibly next year, we might launch our small group ministry with some additional changes. But we both believe that this is an important ministry that provides an opportunity to equip the saints for the sake of building up the body of Christ. Therefore, we’d like to encourage everyone to get involved in a growth group. Please watch for more info and an email providing a sign—up tool to add your name to the list.
With prayer for God’s glory and praise for His grace …
And as always, with prayer for our ACEFC family, Pastor Greg