I love my small group. And I’m not just saying that because I’m the pastor and I’m supposed to say that. Sure, I have the weeks where I barely get everything together in time to have small group in the first place. But within minutes of group starting, I’m overwhelmed. Not by the stress of another activity on the schedule but by the sheer blessing of redemptive relationships. My group isn’t made up of a bunch of long time friends nor people who naturally have a lot in common. In fact, my group is quite varied in age, occupation, experiences, and life stage. And I think it’s better that way. Despite all of the differences, the gospel has drawn us together and freed us to be transparent with one another. Like any relationship, this didn’t happen from day one but has gradually grown as we let God use one another in our lives. And the growth I’ve witnessed has been incredible. Below is a list of my favorite points of growth, and they are illustrative of how tons of people are growing within small groups at Harvest:

(By the way, you should sign up for a small group at Harvest if you haven’t already!)

Time in God’s Word

First of all, discussing God’s word always provides a mixed bag of possible outcomes. You could have the awkward interaction where no one speaks up…ever. It’s so quiet after a question is asked that you could hear a pin drop. Meanwhile the leader feels so awkward that they try to fill the silence with their own thoughts and the conversation trails off from there. Have you been there? Or you could have the group where one person pretty much takes over the conversation as if it were a monologue and not a dialogue. All that is a natural part of trying to start a conversation with people of various personalities and backgrounds. Personally, I’m learning to embrace the messiness of this reality. But more than that, I’ve learned that this reality seems to fix itself by God’s grace in time as comfortability is built in relationships. I’ve loved watching our discussions turn into full-blown corporate conversations where everyone participates. And they’re not just talking about their own thoughts but how the verses themselves actually apply to their lives. Additionally, I’ve appreciated the quality of questions people ask. Sure, at times, we have to circle back around to one that’s off topic but many of them are on topic and very helpful. I’ve been so stretched and encouraged and ministered to by the Spirit of God speaking through God’s people. I hope you are experiencing the same in your group.

Praying together

Admittedly, I have done a poor job as a leader at times of providing enough time to pray well as a group. The result is that most of the prayer requests stay on the surface, and we don’t have the time to get to the heart. Don’t get me wrong, I’m for prayer requests that are for cousins and friends and jobs etc., but I enjoy it even more when prayer gets to ways people can grow personally in light of what God’s word is teaching. Over the last few months, our corporate prayer life has changed significantly. It has now become one of the most exciting parts of our small group time. What was once awkward and a little forced has become a highlight for the group. As we let the Scripture we’re discussing guide our prayers, the quality of communion with the Lord has shot through the roof.

Transparency

The truth is sin is anti-social. Your flesh would naturally prefer to ward off any relationship that doesn’t already naturally appeal to you. What I find so amazing about small group is that it wages war against that mentality. It calls us to truly be what the Bible calls us…family. In Matthew 12:46-50, it says, “While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak with him. But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” When you give your life to Jesus, you’re not only saved from sin but you’re saved to family. And this kingdom family is there to help you walk in faithful obedience to God and His word. We need each other, and my group is embracing this truth. We don’t try to come off pretty. We don’t wait to share with other people outside of our church family. We seek to create an environment in which the burdens and struggles of life can be openly shared and adequately cared for by our kingdom family. I love our group and thank God for the mutual encouragement they are to one another and to me.

I know there are days that you drag to get to small group. I know there are days when you wonder if it’s really that important. I know there are days where you just feel like you’re going through the motions. But God is doing something. He’s bearing fruit in the lives of our group. It may not be noticeable in the short term but over time you see the fruit of what God is doing. Ask the Spirit to help you continue to press into your kingdom family!