*don’t really fit the social chemistry…

*aren’t necessarily the solution…

Found your blog thru the Ecclesia site, and I just want to say YEAH, i’m loving it! Read a few of your articles re: suburban church and really resonated. The small group issue is one I’ve been wrestling with for a while as well. I grew up going to “Sunday school.” In college, our college ministry had a worship service in place of S. S. After that, I started and led a house church for a year. Then we moved and joined a mega church where we joined a small group, then later, a different one. All that to say, none of the smaller group experiences had a significant impact on our spiritual development (the missional house church naturally had the most). Our most transformational experiences have been, as you said, more “organic” and natural.

The trick is getting people into your “group” who doesn’t really fit the social chemistry of the group (like lots of down-and-outers and people of different socio-economic strata), which is key to staying missional. Church-imposed groups are necessarily the solution to that. Hospitality (as you mentioned in another article) plays a big part in it, I think. But having groups set up with quality leaders for new people to join is a great idea. Still, I think we need to be more critical regarding the substance of what happens in the groups, b/c a lot of it is unproductive.

Great to connect,

matt

and as far as individually, the same professor gave me an assignment, to use a lots of different resources and books to evaluate what gifting ande wirings God has laced me with. i did that. again, no small group.

as life has gone on, i see more and more how true and right the direction that i found from those assignments has been.

In this model we (the congregation)are responsible for acting more as Jesus did, for becoming leaders in our own rite and for growing our own christian community around us. We use the church and the leaders/staff of the church (structure) to gain tools and training to go out and “do the stuff.”

I believe (as he does) that we are called into action. We are called to go out into the world and be a part of the community, to eat with the tax collectors.

If I join a church-sanctioned small group what encourages someone who doesn’t attend church to come into the group? If I do that alone and think that I’m participating in growing my relationship in Christ I’m missing a huge teaching from Christ. Christ didn’t say gather together in small groups inside the church for fellowship, Christ said GO. Go save the lost sheep:

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” (Luke 15: 3-7)

Can small groups be equated to the 99 righteous? And is that what Christ would do if he were alive today?

http://www.matthewsblog.waynesborochurchofchrist.org

“Church sanctioned” is an interesting thought. Why is it that we think everything must come under the umbrella of the church in order to be legitimate? Control perhaps? The best ’small groups’ for me have been ones that you don’t schedule, but they just happen because you’re friends and you see each other…you talk…you share…you hurt…you challenge, etc. Some of the forced ones really don’t work out so well and sometimes do more damage than good. And if you already have one that’s natural, why add another ‘meeting’ to your already full agenda?

On the flip side (and I don’t think I have an opinion either way…just a question)…how well do followers of Jesus in the overall church seek out relationships that challenge them in their thinking and growth? I guess some do, some don’t. For those who don’t know how to do that on their own or need some guidance …this I suppose is a role I could see small groups playing.

good challenge to how we think about them.