Small group ministry-A-Ministering to Each Other The Bible says that in the days after Pentecost, believers ministered to each other like a family and shared their possessions with those in need. If members don’t know each other well, they are reluctant to reveal that they have needs. The church is hampered today by the fact that members no longer live close to the church and to each other. They live so far apart that they no longer shop in the same stores, work at the same jobs, and have children attending the same schools. As a result, many do not have any contact with each other outside of church, so it is hard for members to get to know each other. As a result, the church has very little influence on members outside an hour a week when the church gathers for worship. Because of the distance, it is also hard for members to support each other in time of need. A mother who has a child who is hurt is reluctant to call a stranger who lives across town to look after her other kids while she takes the injured child to the doctor or hospital, but is more able to call a close friend who lives nearby. A mother whose husband is in the army or in jail, or has deserted her may reach the breaking point but be reluctant to ask other church members, who she doesn’t know, to come watch the kids while she steps away and cools down, but may be more willing to get together with another mother she knows and take turns watching the kids so neither gets pushed over the edge. Therefore, small groups need to live close together as much as possible, to provide frequent contact and mutual assistance as needed.
Posts Tagged ‘kingdomtide’
Sixth Sunday of Kingdomtide-Oct 8
Nurture Members-The church needs to provide regular visitation and supervision of its members to ensure they are growing in faith and love. It also helps the church to recognize when they have needs so it can minister to their needs. Most pastors are occupied with administrative duties and don’t get to spend much time actually visiting and ministering to their members and even working full time, the pastor cannot adequately supervise and minister to a church of more than 100-150 members. He must train and supervise workers to assist him just as Jesus did. They in turn will have their own small group who they are responsible for under the supervision of the pastor. The workers can get to know members and work closely with them to guide them in growing in faith. The small groups should meet regularly and become almost like a family, who can nurture and minister to their members. Members learn by watching and interacting with older more experienced Christians and that requires regular meeting in a small group setting. Most churches have very little time together to help nurture younger Christians so many members grow very little even after years of membership. -(See “The Living Presence” in “Rebuilding the Kingdom” by Lulu Press)
Fifth Sunday of Kingdomtide-Oct 1
–Developing mutual concern-People were attracted to the early church because of the love they saw members had for each other. Our society has become increasingly isolated. Though surrounded by crowds, they are strangers and people withdraw into their private world. This isolation is seeping into the church as people drive farther to church and often do not see each other from one Sunday to the next. While many pastors and church leaders feel they have good access to knowing when members have problems, few members in most churches know each other well enough to drop the mask they wear to keep people at a distance and reveal who they really are and that they have needs. The lack of this concern is why there are so many in church who struggle with loneliness and depression and why there are so many in church who do things that hurt others. Many people who form the core of churches today are interrelated to others in the core of the church because their children grew up together in the church and married. When they have problems or needs, their family helps either directly or through the church. However there are many in most churches who are outside the core because they have only recently joined or their children had left home before they joined and often are not well known by those in the core. When they have problems or needs, the core of the church is often not aware of it and those in need are reluctant to ask for help. In a small church, where the pastor gets out and regularly visits all his members, he may eventually become aware of problems, however, in a large church, the pastor can not personally visit everyone so a deacon or elder board should divide up the congregation so each board member has responsibility for overseeing a portion of the church. (see “The Living Presence” in my series “Rebuilding The kingdom” for pastors and church leaders) Small group fellowships enable people to get to know each other and develop a concern for each other. Developing a concern for someone goes beyond merely knowing about them, it involves caring about what happens to them. As they get to know each other, they are more willing to share who they really are and that they have needs. They also begin to care about each other and minister to each other’s needs. People who care about each other seek to help each other grow and prosper.
Fourth Sunday of Kingdomtide-Sept 24
Developing relationships-The days after Pentecost were days of learning what it meant to follow Christ in a community of believers. Many were attracted to the church by the preaching of the disciples and had not previously known each other so it was a time of learning to live with each other as Christ would have them. Our society values isolation and the church has fallen prey to it. As a result, few in the church really know each other well enough to admit to having needs. In addition, very few know them well enough to minister to them because they have not had a close relationship with them. People require more than an hour a week in a worship service to develop close relationships. Churches need to make a big effort to help members get to know each other. In the past, pot luck suppers were a place where people got to know each other but few churches today organize social times. Many churches today that still have social times are going to catered meals and eating at restaurants but that is only available to those who can afford them. In addition, many members do not know other members well enough to be open and honest so little socialization occurs in large gatherings. People today develop best in groups of less than 16 people, therefore the church needs to organize small group to help members get to know each other and learn to live like Christ would have them live. Short six week Bible studies are not adequate, it requires long term commitment to each other. (See “Living Presence” in “Rebuilding the Kingdom” (Lulu Press) for developing a small group ministry)
Third Sunday of Kingdomtide-Sept 17
Love Others -God wants us to not only love those in the body of believers but unbelievers as well. God may not like what they do, but He loves them as much as He loves us. He reached out to us when we were sinners and we should do the same to those who are still sinners and do not know Him yet. Hopefully they will come to know God’s love as we extend God’s love to them and they will leave their sinful ways and accept Christ as their Savior. God did not love us based on whether we accepted Him and our love for others should not be based on their acceptance of Christ. God loves us Concern for others involves more than just seeing them as people of value. It involves active concern for the welfare of others where we look out for each other. The world has no concern except to survive and is always looking out for number one. Their first concern in any decision is what will it benefit them. The church needs to show active concern for others as it develops programs and makes decisions by considering the impact it will have on those involved, not just on its benefit to us. The church needs to actively develop programs to minister to church members and train them to minister to those around the church who don’t belong to a church. The church has turned most of its social services over to the government so most people no longer see the church as caring about them. They see the government supplying their needs and now look to the government when they need help. While the government provides for their immediate needs like food and housing, it does little to provide long term help to enable them to get back on their feet and able to help themselves. In fact, many government rules prevent or at least discourage people from helping themselves. If the government provides for their needs, there is little incentive to provide for themselves. In addition, while the government can supply their physical needs, it can not supply their spiritual needs. Concern for others also involves forgiveness– Many people are afraid to show any sign of weakness because they are afraid that others will take advantage of it. As a result, they are afraid to admit that they made a mistake and ask for forgiveness. By the same token, they are afraid to extend forgiveness to others because they are afraid others will see it as a sign of weakness in them and try to take advantage of them. As a result, our bitterness and resentment drives a wedge between us cutting us off from fellowship with each other. God calls us to forgive others, just as He has forgiven us. In fact, it is because He has forgiven us that He expects us to forgive others (see the parable of the King and His servants in Matt 18:22-35). As we forgive others, we break down the barriers of bitterness and resentment which divide us and which prevent us from experiencing the joy that comes from fellowship with each other.
First Sunday of Kingdomtide-Sept 3
Salt & Light Kingdomtide involves life in the kingdom. While Jesus is coming back someday to establish His kingdom on the earth, we are called to redeem the world around us as we live out our life every day. We are called to transform our world as we become salt and light in our community. Salt is a preservative. It prevents the spread of decay by creating a condition that prevents the growth of that which causes decay. Christians are called to create a situation in their community that prevents the spread of evil. They can do that by winning souls and turning them from evil and by enacting laws that prevent the spread of evil by punishing those who engage in it. Light on the other hand exposes that which is hidden so we don’t trip over it. Evil likes to hide in the dark, but light exposes it so it can be removed or destroyed. Christians are also called to expose evil. Evil thrives on lies but Christians are called to teach the truth, exposing the lies. In addition, through education we teach others the consequences of sin and by living out God’s love, we show the world the benefits of love and care for each other and it will stand out in contrast to the evil in selfishness and hatred. Kingdomtide should be a time when we seek to cultivate the qualities that enable us to be salt and light in our communities.