Dec 16, 2009
5 reasons I don’t like being in a small group…I didn’t say they were good reasons.
1. It’s another church service.
2. You’re either in or out.
3. Quitting feels like breaking up.
4. Kids equal chaos.
5. I’d rather be by myself.
* * *
Related:
What about a small group for introverts? My husband just scored 100% in the introvert category of Myers-Briggs. He doesn’t like small groups either.
A small group for introverts is a group of one. You are probably too young to remember a Toto song called “Africa”, in which the singer expresses a desire for “solitary company”.
I agree completely. small groups develop into a who’s who and a big gossip collaboration!
It is better to grow in Christ alone
Disagree. Even if the tendency of small groups is to feed people’s egos, we’re still called into community.
And as one of the lucky ones who recognize the way sin is influencing your groups in this way, don’t you have an obligation to work to change the hearts of the other people in the group?
It’s never your obligation to change anyone else’s heart. You can only change your own, and pray. And if you’re praying for someone else’s heart to change, there’s a good chance your opinion of what’s wrong with that person’s heart is at least partly wrong.
I agree with what you’re saying, if I understand you correctly. We are not obligated, nor can we, change anyone’s heart. But that applies to our own hearts as well. Heart changing is the Holy Spirit’s realm.
What your response infers is not what I intended. This is why I included the phrase “work to” when I said: don’t you have an obligation to work to change the hearts… We are not the agents of actual change.
My point is that we are called to take an active part in Christ’s redemptive work in this world. And we are clearly called to do it as part of a community of believers, not alone.
If we see sin infiltrating our church and threatening our fellow believers, we are supposed to do something about it. That’s like 75% of what Paul is doing in his epistles (made that percentage up but it doesn’t negate the point). Sitting idly by is not Biblical. Neither is “grow(ing) in Christ alone”
Yes, our response will be sinful and yes it is likely that it will be own motivation that is what is sinful. But if Christ didn’t want sinners to help other sinners then the church probably wouldn’t exist.
(ps. Thanks for visiting my blog.)
OK. Your clarification emphasizing “work to” change is noted. I apologize if I jumped to a conclusion there. I think I reacted to something that I felt sounded a little micro-manage-y in your comment, but am happy to stand corrected on that. I would still put a great deal of emphasis on our need to mind our own hearts, though, focusing on our own need for continual repentance. It is all too easy to slip into the mode of thinking we know how to fix others. Don’t ask me how I know that. :-)
I suppose that overall, we agree. I agree that we are called to community, and cannot work out our salvation alone.
I have mixed feelings about small groups. All of Abraham’s 5 Reasons resonate for me, and I could add more. And sg’s can become as gossip-centric and ego-feeding as Ruth notes. But that stuff happens in communities, and we have to learn to deal with it. I no longer see the small group paradigm as a default model for optimal community life in the church, so that means I’m more open to criticism of the paradigm than I used to be. But that’s another whole story, and pointless for this comment thread.
BTW, below, in comment #21, amandaginn asks: “-Isn’t there something wrong with our belief that ‘community’ is a small clique of like-minded, same-church, already-saved individuals?” I think that’s a key insight. Not the end of the story, but a key insight.
“It is better to grow in Christ alone”
- I’d like to read this charitably, but I can’t help asking, are you serious? The teaching of Scripture is that it is the fool who tries to do it on his own. We are called “a people” and a “household”. Andy is right that we are called to community, and while that doesn’t necessarily mean small groups, it does call us to grow up together.
I disagree. It’s better to grow in Christ in community.
That newest trend is “micro-groups” – averaging one (sometimes two) people.
Meetings are constrained to 14 minutes but, with the emergence of new technologies, they tend to occur more frequently (sometimes as often as 20-30 times a day!).
You should check it out.
I call those conversations. :)
Hmmmm…
I am a small group.
Are you planting other small groups?
We’re called to community, not small groups. But for us, our small group has been a means to the end of community. If you want to feel even more guilty about your reasons, give Bonhoeffer’s “Life Together” a read this weekend.
I am different. I really like being with people. My wife on the other hand would probably like your small group of one idea. She sees the need though and likes it when she gets there.
“We’re called to community, not small groups.”
Couldn’t these five reasons be five reasons not to go to church?
Yes.
And reasons for not getting married…
Heh. I just can’t *not* take a crack at this one.
1. No it isn’t; it’s not even close in the case of a large church like BBC. Conversations, praying and being prayed for, hospitality…there are too many differences for this to be a serious point.
2. True of all significant relationships: family, marriage, work, and others. What’s your point? You want people not to notice or care when you’re not around? Perhaps what you mean is that you don’t desire that kind of intimacy and concomitant commitment?
3. Yes, if you’re doing SG correctly, it’s hard to leave. We are made for relationship and losing significant ones is always unpleasant. But I think that’s a silly reason for avoiding close relationships in the first place.
4. They don’t need to, if handled properly. It’s a group responsibility.
5. Can’t do anything about that. That’s really the point here, is it not?
Re: 1, it depends on your small group leader and how they lay out the time.
Re: 3, I think Abraham recognizes that his reasons are silly, or at least some. I do know what he talks about if a small group doesn’t work out… both parties feel like they’re seeing an ex-girlfriend.
Boy, I think some are missing the point here. I agree with each one of these (especially kids = chaos!), but I still know that getting past these and being part of a small group anyway is good for me and critical to the life of a healthy church body.
As to the kids=chaos, here’s a tip. We have more than 18 kids in our small group (21 by March.) About 5 of them or six of them are 2 or under. We hire 3 baby-sitters that hang out with them while we have our study/prayer time. Then we all eat together. It is chaotic, but it is also great. I have gotten to know not only the adults, but also the kids. We encourage each other’s kids and even help in guidance/discipline. It works for us.
Thanks — that’s basically what we’ve done in the past, except we’ve had the families with kids rotate week-to-week on kid duty. I think the hired sitter approach is probably better from the standpoint of lessening the burden on the parents, but then again, sitters don’t have a vested interest in seeing the kids grow spiritually like parents do.
Some women from our church (whose kids are grown) volunteered to baby-sit our groups’ kids. Makes it easier on the wallet and we know that the women are devoted to the well-being of our kids.
Are they doing anything on every other Sunday night?
That would be sooo nice. Alas.
As long as you guys schedule it not to conflict with our group…
Well..”Sitters don’t have a vested interest in seeing the kids grow spiritually like parents do.”
My daughter is one of the “hired” hands in Andy’s group, mentioned above. She LOVES those kids and while she doesn’t “parent” them, she is concerned for their spiritual well-being. Not a bad lesson for a 14-year-old girl to be learning.
Amen Liz. I was going to comment here and say something just like that! We’ve got top-notch sitters and they make having small group a joy!
I’m with you on #4. Our 4 families contributed to 11 children 8 and under. That is a burden on any house, no matter the size. And it’s a burden on the parents to watch the kids, all while trying to do “community”. That’s why our group has opted for the men and women to get together separately for coffee or something instead of subject one family to the chaos of that many kids.
Okay, I don’t inherently agree or disagree with these comments. But let me ask this question: If Biblical Community is assumed, necessary, and mandated by scripture, what is the alternative in a church of thousands (even hundreds)?
Smaller churches?
Of how many? Get past a couple hundred and gets hard. Besides you kind of need to redeem the monster that has been created. Idealism is great, but the reality is that if a church grows you cant just keep it small.
I used to lead a small group and did it for about 5 years. It was difficult but often worthwhile. When people quit, sometimes it was like they were breaking up with you. When done so abruptly and without a reason (like moving or hard schedule change) it is like being dumped. I might be willing to lead one again, but my wife would need convincing.
Not all small groups are like the one you describe. Ours sure isn’t. Maybe you should come visit. We watch Arrested Development at ours!
Sounds like a small group even I could stomach! ;)
I’m growing tired of the word (not the concept of) “community.” Like “journey” and “story” and all the blah blah blah words overused by the pomo crowd. It’s like if you use those words you’re in on the new way to do things. Well in the spirit of the season I say “bah humbug” to those words.
Oh and ya, small groups can become cliquish. So can house churches. As long as it doesn’t end there I see nothing wrong with that. We like some people more than others. That’s just how it is. Again, as long as it doesn’t end there.
That’s why we all need to learn Greek.
So then we can walk around going, “Koinonia, baby.”
+5 Rob. “Agape, baby. Agape.”
Perhaps small groups should have an enforced maximum duration of 6 months?
Really? I was with the same group of guys for four years in college, and I wish I were still in that small group. Six months doesn’t seem like nearly enough time to really get to know people that well. Four years wasn’t even enough.
I became a Christian in 2002 and I cried after small group every week for 2 years! They were loving, wonderful people, but I had such a hard time emotionally relating to people. Oh, it was so hard! Then after about 2 years, all of a sudden, something clicked and I was fine. I loved being with my small group!
We haven’t joined one since we moved to Georgia in 2007 and I really miss it. Must remedy. I don’t think I’ll cry after, though. This time.
5 reasons I will never quit small groups.
1. Small groups brought me back into enjoying church.
2. After moving to Idaho, small groups taught me the meaning of the family of God.
3. In a large church, small groups mean that there are a few friendly faces in the crowd.
4. Our small group friends supported us through childbirth and the early stages of parenting.
5. Our small group give us family to celebrate Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Birthdays, etc with.
Maybe you just have to move 3000+ miles away from your family and everybody you know to appreciate small groups.
Awesome list. And I hear you about the value of a small group when you’re thousands of miles away from your friends and family.
#6. We’re selfish.
Hey, me too. And I lead a small group.
Doing small group is hard. In the beginning, I tried to think up any excuse not to attend. It takes time to acclimate. I think it took me about 3-4 years to feel comfortable, but it was worth it.
Someone recommended this book to me called “Sticky Church.” I am going to check it out: http://stickychurch.com/what-is-sticky-church
Going to the church you grew up in, you probably have enough community that it isn’t strictly necessary for you. However, in our transient society where a lot of people don’t have enough natural community, small groups can jump start that. It’s messy and sometimes forced, but people need other people in their lives, and if its a small group that does that, thank God for small groups.
It’s messy and sometimes forced, but people need other people in their lives, and if its a small group that does that, thank God for small groups.
I agree!!
You are bold. Frank honesty is really good. Now, I think maybe you’ve been in the wrong small groups!
We’ve always really enjoyed our small groups and loved the people. Our lives and faith have been better for them.
The main negative issue with small groups in my experience is when the meetings tend to take 3 hours.
-I think American (white?) church culture has replaced community with small groups, and we call it “community”.
-We really have no idea what community is. The word has become almost meaningless in its use. (Same goes for “fellowship”.)
-Isn’t there something wrong with our belief that “community” is a small clique of like-minded, same-church, already-saved individuals?
It really frustrates me when people chalk up Christian problems to white cliques. My county is 89% white and is culturally pretty consistent throughout. Doesn’t it follow that my church and small group would be too? Why is that so wrong?
It sounds like you’ve been jaded by some experience somewhere along the way. You seem to have a handle on what you think community is not. Could you let us know what you think it is?
While I understand your frustration with finger-pointing at “white cliques”, I think the reality is that the white evangelical church has a certain model when it comes to community and small groups. Not all bad, not all wrong. However, these churches have become accpeted as the norm and don’t seem to be interested in improving community or the body of believers as it relates to community.
You are right when you say that your church and small group would follow a certain model. It’s not that it’s wrong. It’s that it can be improved. Your small group may be fantastic, but getting together to talk about the sermon or book study is not the Biblical model for fellowship. The early church gathered as a need for one another. A need fueled by dependence on one another’s gifts, and also on meeting one another’s needs. If small groups are to take place, it should not be to gather to talk and agree on everything, but to work together as a body of believers.
The frustrating thing for me is when the church gathers as a community, but the church doesn’t move within the community. Our community should be around us, so that we can live life together, depend on one another, share hurts and pains, and rejoice with another. We need to extend our hands to our neighbors and meet their needs the way Christ met people’s needs. He identified with people, just the way we need to identify with people.
This is long, but important. As for where you live being predominantly white, I would encourage you to see what the larger church community is doing outside of your clulture. This may just be for awareness, but it might also cause you to see a different perspective of God that one part of the body sees, that we as white people do not. Please understand that this is not pointed at you, but to all as a body.
Who cares if you like it? Is it the right thing to do – that’s the question.
What if your small group IS your church. I go to a home church which is basically a small group. and yes kids = chaos but sometimes that is life and it is who we are as a group. it makes the group who we are!
If your small group meeting is another church service, then you’re doing it wrong. Share what God showed you in the sermon, see how we can make practical application of it in our lives. This should take up only a small portion of time. Then share what’s been going on in your life with the group, the good, the bad. And pray for one another. Get in the ditch with your brothers and sisters, walk beside them, uplift them.
I come away from my life group meetings feeling loved and encouraged that I have godly people praying for me.
Now, do I always want to go? No. I’d rather stay home than trek out again. We meet every week. I love my people.
I agree with this. We do the sermon discussion format as well…we found that it was easier than going through a book. We all hear the same sermon every Sunday, and if someone misses it on Sunday due to sickness or whatever, they can listen to it online by Thursday when we meet.
I like discussing the sermon because it is interesting to see what people learned from it because sometimes someone will bring up a good point that I hadn’t thought of.
Small group issues can be quite difficult. However, becoming a Christian used to mean becoming potential lion food. Fellowship probably seemed more helpful to them in those circumstances.
gotta say i LOL’ed at this post :) small group ain’t for everyone, and i’m only *pretty* sure God is big enough to meet each of us in our group or community or fellowship of choice. are you attaining the goals and purposes of small group in some other way? well then, God will find a way to work through that and say what he needs to say. right? hope so!
Some people quit small group because they don’t gain anything from it that they can’t get elsewhere.
But my question is, what about the people in the group that need *you*? The people that don’t have a lots of in’s and connections in the church. The people with rough edges that you may not “click” with, but they sure enjoy you.
Small group isn’t about being with the people that work best for us, it’s about being with family.. and God chooses our family, not us. They might need you way more than you need them.
I’ve been on both sides of it. More needy than others and less needy. Small groups provide a place for the needy to be nourished and those who already have lots of friends to share them, along with sharing their lives to the benefit of the family of God!
You’ve got such a rich life to draw from, Abraham. So much to share that could benefit others.. in a more personal way than a blog.. :)
I’m certain you already share with others in wonderful ways, but I would still encourage you to keep considering small group. Think of all the good works He may have prepared in advance for you to do!
#2 sounds like Heidi Klum on Project Runway. Ei-dare you’re eeen or you’re ooot.
Do you think he’d like small groups more if every week they did another fashion challenge? And if Michael Kors was there?
kids, kids…we paid our pastor’s daughter to watch all the kids at Bible study last night and she didn’t keep any of them upstairs and every time I went up she was texting. I was thinking of texting her, “You suck at babysitting.”
oh, casey…give me her number. i’ll text her for you. can we talk about how babysitters don’t work as hard as WE did when WE were kids? argh.
and, i could comment about small groups, but you know pretty much what i think. i mean, not that i have a totally clear idea of what i think or whatever… nevermind.
I can identify with many of your concerns. In 25 years, I have been through many kinds of small group experiences:
really special times of prayer with missionaries who visited
refreshing fellowship with good friends
threatened with very unpleasant, graphic violence by a troubled group member
loving friends and strangers who prayed with us through various medical, spiritual, and financial trials
uncomfortable times with people who it seemed really didn’t like us that much, disagreed openly with our parenting and beliefs at times, and otherwise just associated with us just because we were in the same small group
times where the Lord changed us as we persevered through the difficult experiences we sometimes had in small groups
wonderful times of learning more about what the Bible says about our spiritual life
and a lot more in between.
There are many reasons we can give for staying involved or not staying involved in small groups. For me, it’s just what the first Christians did. They met together every day (which is more than most churches do today). They prayed together, ate together, and they served together. So when I feel discouraged about being in a small group, I just keep going back to that.
Funny, those are pretty much the same reasons my husband & I have never loved small groups. And most of them are reasons that it’s been good for us to be in ours. Ha ha ! :)
We happen to love our current group — they have walked with us thru much, and us them — but know it doesn’t always work out like that. I take issue with anyone who says joining an “official” church small group is the “right” thing to do. We do need close fellowship with other believers, but…got Christian friends who walk with life through you & point you to Christ (and you them)? BAM. Small group.
I’m inclined to agree with this. Small groups exist because community doesn’t. People in our uber-individualistic culture tend not to form community on their own. Immediate family and superficial, fleeting interactions on Sunday morning are definitely not enough.
Why can’t immediate family be your small group? Especially if they live near and are all believers? They may know your struggles better than anyone else.
This is the best thing said in this comment thread so far. Because we have lost tribal/clan/feudal identities, everyone is now responsible for their own social network. Small groups are good when they facilitate real community. But just showing, being uncomfortable, and calling it community is disingenuous at best.
Thanks, Nikki. This from you “got Christian friends who walk with life through you & point you to Christ (and you them)? BAM. Small group.” helps me quite a bit. Thank you.
What are “small groups?” Are they like Shepherd Groups or something?
i’ve heard them called “small groups”, “small church”, “cell groups”, “shepherd groups”, “folds”, “prayer groups”…
i definitely don’t like being assigned a group. #forced
Definitely with you on that one, Jennapants.
Stop whining.
wot if church looked like having friends over for dinner?
what’s your definition of “small group”?
I vote that your next Small Group post be positive. And not link to “Why’d you quit your church.”
Some of these responses seem like they were joking.
The fact of the matter is that God saved His people to himself and not a bunch of individuals.
Not only are we saved to Him but we are reconciled to each other.
“You shall be my people and I shall be Your God.”
All throughout the Bible.
Yea community is hard. But in reality and biblically speaking, we are family and we all know family is no walk in the park.
i think some people here need to relax a touch. some personalities fit into the “small group” scenario, some don’t. my husband and i are both very shy people and did not enjoy our small group experience a few years back. we actually dreaded it each week. don’t get me wrong. the people were lovely and caring and encouraging. i personally don’t feel comfortable sharing my thoughts with just anybody. i loathe being put on the spot – “how do YOU feel about that?” – but there are others who thrive in this type of environment. i have christian friends and family with whom i share my prayer requests, feelings, etc. – that’s what helps me. i don’t think the “small group” thing is for everyone.
some like it, some don’t. no big deal.
I agree about being put on the spot. And I think if a person is asked a question and she gives a general, avoiding the issue answer, then the leader should not let the group members press her for a specific answer on a topic that she (or he) is obviously not comfortable sharing about.
I’m with you, Abraham… I work in a ministry context and virtually all of my personal relationships are close enough to have an element of accountability, fellowship, and edification. If I’m honest, the reason I feel compelled to join a small group is so that my local church pastoral staff doesn’t frown upon me for not being a part of one. And, I’m just not sure that is the right reason to join. I’m contemplating spending that night each week volunteering at an outreach/evangelistic/needs based local ministry that will actually expose me to people outside my church and community. I’m not saying that’s ideal, but it seems like a more honest expression of where I need balance and faithfulness, rather than just checking off the boxes of expectations. Just a thought I’ve been bouncing around.
“I didn’t say they were good reasons.” Nice :)
Oh I hear you on this one! And I get as much flak as you are. :) I’m so not getting started defending the need for our family to not be in a small group…..
I hear you on the reasons Abraham. I like the 3 or 4 peep model though if you gotta do it (same sex).
Four of those five reasons would also work as reasons not to get married… I’m just saying…
I can appreciate the honesty, but I don’t think I could say the same without feeling pretty guilty.
Personally, I’m not disciplined enough spiritually to keep on going along in life without the involvement of others. I’ll go off into worthlessness, I’ve done it before.
Without my thought-life ever making contact with other living, breathing people’s thoughts, I’ll think too highly of myself.
I don’t want to miss out on something that be a spiritual benefit to me, that untold thousands of people don’t, or can’t have, for difficult or dangerous reasons I’ll never experience.
It’s just me. Left alone, I’m a just existing Christian, not a thriving one. Maybe others are different. Whatever’s faith-building for you.
“I can appreciate the honesty, but I don’t think I could say the same without feeling pretty guilty.”
Isn’t that the truth of being in an Evangelical church in a nutshell??? Honesty translates rapidly into guilt.
Well, OK, it’s not always that way, but too often, I’m afraid.
One of the most challenging aspects I faced as a former small group leader was that each person showed up with a separate expectation of the experience. Had some people who wanted the heady theological discussion (based on the materials our pastor had assigned all groups to use), others who wanted the connection to people and hated the video series, some who had a high need for personal interaction and verbal processing, and some who’d had enough the minute they walked through the door.
For the first few months, I tried hard to listen to everyone’s concerns (read: whining) and do what I could to adjust accordingly. A few months and a small breakdown later, I quit. The group disbanded shortly thereafter.
Am now at a different church, in a small group I love. I particularly love not being in charge.
I went from a church small group — and an exceptional one at that, I must say — into a men’s group in a covenant community. The latter was a much better experience all around. Sometimes we prayed. We always talked about life. Beer, popcorn and pistachios. We celebrated every individual’s birthday with something different (i.e. going to a ballgame, watching TOMBSTONE, shooting pool, etc.)
It was real life and I became more honest than I had ever been before about my life in the Lord and as a part of the people of God.
I shared things in a covenanted Men’s group that I wouldn’t have shared in a small group (as good as mine was) in a hundred years. And a lot of that was because it became, over time, just hanging out with some Christian men once a week.
this is great. your experience makes so much sense.
One of the hardest parts for me was having the group selected for us, and then finding out one of the people in the group was someone that my husband had had a relationship with a few years before we met and before he was a Christian.
I really struggled getting into a deeper relationship and talking about our family and relationships and requesting prayer within the group.
It is hard to become close and intimate in a preselected group, when the ‘leaders’ don’t know the history behind the people.
um. yeah! i woulda moonwalked right outta that small group.
Not that they aren’t a good thing, but… I couldn’t have said it better myself! Thank you for speaking hard, unpopular truths.
I’m wondering if most people would have a better small group experience if they were in a group that was being well cared for by a leader who was also being well cared for.
a whole issue of a navigators magazine dedicated to this subject–oh, so many years ago–when formalized “small groups” were just beginning to be popular. there was an interview with a guy who was one of the innovators of the idea. he seemed to feel that formalizing “small groups” was being overemphasized. he said that large churches naturally form small groups such as sunday school classes, bible study groups, prayer breakfasts–he even included exercise classes. in those more informal settings, true christians were reaching out to each other, extending hospitality, and meeting needs.
Sounds like a bunch of whiny North Americans…culture can be such a determiner…
Interesting post. Being a loner by nature I naturally agree with everything you have said. The problem is that I believe God desires community. Therefore I have to fight my tendency to just stay home and grow alone.
I also think as times get tougher community will get much more important to all of us.
Heb 10:24-25 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. (25) Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
For years, we didn’t felt like we belonged in a small group. We tried it, and it just didn’t work out. Now that we live in NYC and are part of a church that emphasizes community, it’s going great. There’s something about New York and struggling through lives that are harder than they need to be that has brought us together.
As an introvert, I miss small groups as an excuse to make friends. Shaking hands for ten seconds during services isn’t enough.
Whoever does not like the small groups, shies away from churches as well. It is a fellowship the make us grow in Christ. However I agree that kids of the small groups are chaos, but often manageable.
Good discussion.
I have the same tendencies in wanting to be alone … but then I read Proverb 18:1 which says, “He who isolates himself seeks his own desire: he breaks out agianst all sound judgment.”
When I accepted Christ, I felt very isolated. At that time, my family members and friends were all atheists. I felt awkward to be in church and would rush off the minute service ended. It was through an assigned SG that I made friends with other Christians and found comfort.
I’m so happy for you, Hillary! That’s so good to hear.
Spurgeon wrote in “The Treasuries of David” this comment about the verse in Ps. 27 “to behold the beauty of the Lord”: “we must repair to the gatherings of the righteous intent upon the gracious object of learning more of the loving Father, more of the glorified Jesus, more of the mysterious Spirit, in order that we may the more lovingly admire, and the more reverently adore our glorious God.” Might this be applied to the purpose of small group?
Interesting topic (and I stumbled upon it too late to get involved much).
Just once when I talk to someone at the large church we visit I would like someone to NOT say “Oh, I’m sure you can find a small group here that fits your needs.” Just one time it would be nice if I left not feeling like “Well, our group isn’t going to try to meet your needs or interested in hanging out with you….but I’m sure SOMEONE HERE has a group that will fit you just fine. It’s just not us. Gotta go.”
I make friends easily and my husband does, too.
I think I have decided to gather up my friends from my former church (we’re all a little more geographically scattered in churches now) and re-commit to some kind of fellowship group because, while all those people I’ve met at the big church are very friendly and very nice….doesn’t seem like anybody’s really that interested in expanding THEIR small group.
(not a condemnation of small groups, BTW)
I think the Gospel offers us balance here…(surprise, surprise).
He was utterly alone so that we would not have to be…
And if [now] we are never truly alone…why would we not want to share in that?
…Even in group settings that are less than ideal?
If you go extreme on this one…the Gospel only means so much to you.
I’ll be the first to say ‘join the club.’