Visioneering -3- Groups

I may need to write more about this, but I was on a roll, and thinking about how I've seen many Sunday School/Small Group times done. I think a lot of it is not very beneficial.

Before I begin, I just want to say that the main purpose of group time should NOT be merely getting through the lesson. Nor is it just about fellowship. But there should be priorities, and groups should be given as much time as necessary to get through all their business.

FIRST of all, the highest emphasis should be on meeting group members' needs and prayers. And by prayers I mean specific prayers for the members in your group, what their struggles are, what their needs are that week, what is stressing them out, etc. I cannot overemphasize the need I see for people to start obeying all the biblical commands to bear each other's burdens and pray for one another. The apostle Paul often uses the language of "struggle" for intercessory prayer. Could you say that about your prayer life??

SECOND of all, groups need to get to know each other. This is why I don't like Sunday School, because there is no time to get to know the others in the group. Some people call this the process of "going from friendly to family." Sometimes the fact that my best friend just died is more important than what some dude across the country wrote about Leviticus.

THIRD of all, groups need to be heavily involved in evangelism. This is another area where the Sunday School model doesn't work well. Because of the overemphasis on the Bible, the whole experience is disorienting and weird to outsiders. But when outsiders can meet in non-threatening areas (such as homes) and see tangible expressions of God's love for others, a lot of the awkwardness disappears. Groups should be open to outsiders, and groups should be concerned when they don't have outsiders on a consistent basis.

NOW, groups should use the Bible. Groups can worship with a Psalm, or offer a prayer prayed by the saints of old. Group members should hold each other accountable for spending time with God in His word every day. Groups should talk about whether or not certain actions are biblical. Groups should encourage each other to do the right thing because it is in the Bible.

What I want to get away from is task-driven teachers who sacrifice everything for the sake of the lesson. The teacher is not the authoritative dispenser of truth. Rather, groups should learn to walk together with the Truth, that is, Jesus. I don't think there's ever a point where we go beyond needing the Bible, but there is a point where we need to start doing and being church for one another, as opposed to getting up early on the weekend just to listen quietly to someone.