thanks

There are many things to give thanks for. Calvary Baptist and its community is certainly one. I also give thanks for the quote I heard last week:

"[Calvary Baptist Church] is like Disney World, except with Jesus instead of Mickey Mouse."--Sarah Stoner.

Great quote. I'll try to post notable quotables as they arise.


My reading on Life Groups continues. Here are some notes for a very insightful book about LGs:

Making Small Groups Work; Henry Cloud & John Townsend

Need a theological and practical vision for small groups [SGs].

For Leaders

SGs foster reconciliation. Leaders can help members: reconnect to the Source, reconnect through real relationships, experience total grace, learn & experience the value of obedience to God and give control to God.

To achieve this, SGs need grace, truth and time. Time is not real time but redemptive time. Group time has seasons.

Groups

Groups provide connectedness, integration of character, honesty, normalize struggle.

There is discipline and structure to SGs. To discipline, see the love in discipline, see the need, learn a language of discipline, and learn how much structure the group needs.

Decide prayer’s place in the group. Pray about group issues. Encourage individual accountability. Forgiveness is an element—forgiveness for the group and from the group.

Mentoring is a necessary ingredient to build new leadership.

Starting one

There are two threads to groups: structure/truth (how group imparts its truth to its members) or experience/process (how much emotional closeness is right for the group). Good groups need some of both threads.

Typical types: bible/book study, topical, recovery and general support. In choosing materials, people come first. Prepared group members have a much better exp.

Groups facilitate process, provide safety, listen, clarify and ask questions, confront, set limits, allow and silence.

Group members

Expectations for group members: be known, listen to each other, receive and give feedback, learn to love, practice obedience, make positive changes, learn new skills, discover and develop gifts, discern harmful patterns, confess and repent, take risks, and grieve.

There will be problems in groups. Expect that. There are ways to deal with neediness, noncompliance, passivity, shutting someone up, aggression, narcissism, and spiritualization.