Your Growth Group #1, The Stage for Spiritual Growth

When I pastored in Colorado, I remember visiting one of the families in our church.  The wife and children were very involved on Sundays and throughout the week. On Sunday mornings, they came early to be a part of Sunday school classes (this was our small group ministry). Then they stayed for the worship service. 

The husband, however, never participated with the small group ministry. He never was a part of a Sunday school class. Rather, he came later and joined the family in the large-group worship service. While I was at their home, I asked him, "Have you ever thought of joining a small group?" I'll never forget his response. He said, "No, I'm just not a Sunday School guy." 

In the years since this visit and the husband's response, I've met countless people who think that small groups are unnecessary in their Christian lives. I've always been baffled by this. The reason is that the New Testament demonstrates that small groups were clearly and regularly used to foster Christian growth in the early church. 

The most obvious example is that Jesus had His twelve disciples. Also, in Acts 20:20, Paul talks about how he met with the church "in public and from house to house." There are many other examples of this in Scripture. If small groups were effectively utilized in the early church, then it stands to reason that today they remain important to our personal growth in Christ and the edification of our church.

Small groups, when they are done well, provide the opportunity for rich and necessary interaction between Christians, which is simply not available in the large group worship service. God can use small group relationships to shape, refine, and mature us in ways that are not possible through self study or "big church." Through discussion, prayer, study, fellowship, and even disagreement, we grow in Christ. So, to determine that small groups (and growth groups specifically) are just not for you seems like a casual dismissal of a major tool God has given us to become mature in Christ.

For the next several weeks, I want to set a vision for our growth groups. I'd like to paint a picture of them to show you how they could have an impact on your spiritual growth. This will also give me the opportunity to articulate what I hope our groups may become. Of course, I hope everyone in our church will find a growth group and commit to participate in it. Stop by the Hub after service on Sunday and we can help you to find a group right for you.