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| January 2010 |
 Imagine with me for a moment; it’s the year 2015, and your church has the most amazing Small Groups. These Small Groups are the talk of the town. They are involved in transforming lives and neighborhoods. They are places of support and learning, of reaching out and serving, and of loving God and loving others in various ways. These groups are the church on the move; they are people being church and doing church. They are living out the Greatest Commandments, while fulfilling the Great Commission.
So what do these groups look like? What are some words that describe these groups? You might say welcoming, loving, caring, supportive. You might also say things like praying, learning and serving. Could we add honest, authentic, accountable, active, selfless? As you brainstorm, you might add many more of your own descriptive characteristics here.
So what are the barriers? Let’s brainstorm again, to name them. Perhaps we’d say cliques, tradition, history, busyness, individualism, consumerism, judgmental attitudes, etc. Your list would be specific, unique to your congregation.
And finally, what do we need to do to overcome these barriers? This is our chance to name what the issues are and to begin to identify what we might do to move forward.
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Infuse: Esther Step back in time to ancient Persia around 480 B.C. Esther’s story is one of kings and queens in a vast empire, and it’s filled with risky twists and turns, happy and fearful moments, dangerous and deadly outcomes. What’s more, it shows us God’s deliverance and care for his people as he works to bless others
Church Unique by Will Mancini. How Missional Leaders Cast Vision, Capture Culture, and Create Movement
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While revising the booklet on prayer that is attached to this newsletter as a free download, I was challenged by the material written by Edi Bajema. This booklet, called The Priority in Prayer, was originally written for the Coffee Break inductive Bible study ministry. The focus of the material indicated to me why many Coffee Break programs over the past several decades have seen lives dramatically changed. Even though it was published before we were using e-mail to share prayer requests, the material has important application today. Several important truths struck me while I worked through the material and I realized it can have a much wider small group application. I have listed some bullet points that may seem very basic, but the material contains important reminders for all small group leaders. I would encourage you to download the entire booklet to read more on these basic points. Diane Averill
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Prayer was powerful in the life of Jesus, the apostles, and the early church. There was intentional focused prayer at significant moments in the life of Jesus and for those who made up the early church.
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Significant change happens to others, to our ministries, and to us personally that would not happen if we did not pray.
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Setting up regular times and places for prayer indicates the value we place on prayer.
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Prayer times can be used more effectively by utilizing things like prayer lists and cards formulated prior to your meeting times.
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Seek specific individuals with the gift of prayer and look for ways to encourage their gift.
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Pray very specifically for people who have not yet come to faith, realizing that it is the single most important thing you can do for them.
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Make certain your prayer times are balanced with opportunities for praise and confession as well as for petition.
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Realize as a small group leader that only the plans, programs and presentations, begun and continued with prayer will truly succeed. After all, it is only through God’s power that lives are changed.
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The above exercise can be an effective tool, in beginning or revitalizing your Small Group Ministry. It can be done with a large group from your congregation who has a heart for Small Groups, or with your council, or organizing team. The key points are listed here:
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Imagine what Small Groups might be like, if we fulfilled the dream of what God is calling us to do. What do we hear God saying to us?
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What are the challenges and barriers, specific to this congregation that would need to be addressed and overcome?
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What are the next steps to overcoming the barriers so that we can move forward? What do we need to do now?
Your congregation will begin with a dream. They will name their own barriers. They will begin to name the steps needed to move forward. They will own the dream. They will know the barriers. They will be excited about the next steps.
And finally, as a congregation, you must begin with prayer. Ask God to show you his vision for what these groups would look like. Ask Him to help you dream. Trust Him to lead you through.
If you’d like more information on using this exercise in your church please contact a Ministry Developer in your region or call 1-888-644-0814. |
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You are receiving Small Talk because you either signed up on our website or subscribed to this mailing list through a Christian Reformed Home Missions Small Group Ministry Developer. CRHM is a registered non-profit agency in Canada and the USA
and is an agency of the Christian Reformed Church in North America. |
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