Leadership Thought Why Every Church Member Should Be a Part of a Life Group.

Dear Friends,

If you have seen the movie, “A Few Good Men,” you probably remember the striking three-word question shouted by Colonel Jessup as he sought to defend himself against the charges of malfeasance: "Are we clear?”

Likewise, as a church we need to be asking ourselves the same question. Are we clear when it comes to communicating what we believe should be the goals and direction of our church? Church members deserve to know those goals and the process by which we seek to achieve them.  For example, if one of our goals is to ‘make disciples,’ then the question becomes how will we achieve this goal?  If we know the “what”-making disciples- then what is the “how”-the process for making disciples?

A church can attract attenders through preaching, but disciples are formed and fashioned in small groups. I would go so far as to say that unless you are a part of a small group, we call them life groups at New Monmouth, you are in big danger spiritually. We need each other if we are to be spiritually healthy and well-functioning members of the body. We live in a “crowded loneliness,” and when we isolate, we slowly die, both physically and spiritually. Casual connections will never be enough. We need regular face to face relationships, the kind that are so close that when I cry, you taste the salt in my tears.

To use a baseball analogy, just putting the ball in play is never enough. We need to figure out how we can insure our players cross home plate. If the team is not clear on the “how to” of accomplishing the goal, we may wind up with each player using his own strategy to accomplish the goal, rather than working together in a coordinated effort to achieve that goal.

A lot of discipleship strategies include the dispensing of information-what disciples need to know- largely communicated in the large group context of worship, and yes, knowing what to believe is an important part of the disciple making process. But also, of critical importance is teaching followers the importance of belonging and pointing them to those they “need to be with.” You may need to take a moment to reread this last sentence, or you may miss its significance. Often the most effective venue for disciple making is found amid a loving and supportive small group environment comprised of people who are committed to love and care for each other. Following Christ involves believing, but it also means belonging, and these two aspects must never be separated.

As much as I enjoy gathering together for worship in a large community setting like worship, I recognize that some of the deepest spiritual truths I have learned have come within a small group setting where I was challenged, exhorted, encouraged, and yes, even rebuked in the interest of disciple making.

In closing, I remind you that while Christ intended for our relationship with Him to be personal, He never intended it to be private. We need each other, and I hope each one of you who reads this message recognizes this. Believing without belonging is like possessing good news but having no one to share it with.

Yours in faith and fellowship,

Pastor Tom