I've been thinking recently a lot about commitment. Commitment is the most vital ingredient in forming a relationship, because without commitment a relationship could be broken or severed at any time without warning. Think about it in the context of marriage, what would a marriage relationship look like without commitment, where a man and a woman stand before God and vow “to death do us part.” The significance is that before God two people have pledged (or covenanted) their love and faithfulness to one another. While I'm not suggesting that a small group shares the same level of commitment as a marriage, I do think commitment is equally important in the context of small group ministry. I want each of our small groups to be a place where meaningful relationships can be created and nurtured. Right now you’re probably asking, “What is a 'meaningful' relationship, what does that look like?” Consider Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 and 12, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” A meaningful relationship can simply be described as a commitment to 'be there' for someone, no matter what. A meaningful relationship by nature is a relationship where two people have committed to pray for one-another, to support one-another, to encourage one-another and to hold one-another accountable to the glory of God. The challenge for most small groups (and I'm assuming your group is like most) is navigating the host of scheduling conflicts and other distractions to begin to form these types of relationships.
So where do we start? Meaningful relationships do not happen overnight. First, start by making your small group time a priority. Don't cancel your small group meeting unless it is absolutely necessary. Make time spent in group meaningful by maintaining a balance between fellowship, Bible study and mutual ministry and avoiding 'rabbit trails' during discussion. Encourage consistency in attendance by group members. Help your group members to view group meetings as an important time for establishing and nurturing relationships with one another, rather than viewing group meetings as just another obligation on an already overcrowded calendar. Encourage your members to attend on a consistent basis by following up with them when they are absent. Second, review the small group member covenant with the members of your group. This is an important step because it spells out exactly what each person in your group is committing to. Third, spend significant time with your group members outside of group meetings. Consider the early church for a moment, the early church spent a significant amount of time together. If you read the first two chapters of Acts, you can't help but notice the number of times the word “together” appears. The early church was committed to meaningful relationships and spent a significant amount of time with one-another to see that accomplished. Spending time together can be done in a one-on-one basis, as couples, or as smaller groups of men or women. The important point here is that meaningful relationships don't only grow during the time your small group meets. Fourth, and most important, live up to what you've committed to. Be a man or woman of integrity. (Yes, I know that one even stings me!) If you've committed to pray for someone during the week, pray for them and then follow-up with them during the week to see how they are doing. If you've committed to hold someone accountable in a specific area, hold them accountable but then also help them to develop a plan so they can be victorious in that area.
By increasing our commitment level to one another, we can begin to see these meaningful relationships flourish and we can see our small groups bring glory to God as a result of the ways that we support and care for one another.
So where do we start? Meaningful relationships do not happen overnight. First, start by making your small group time a priority. Don't cancel your small group meeting unless it is absolutely necessary. Make time spent in group meaningful by maintaining a balance between fellowship, Bible study and mutual ministry and avoiding 'rabbit trails' during discussion. Encourage consistency in attendance by group members. Help your group members to view group meetings as an important time for establishing and nurturing relationships with one another, rather than viewing group meetings as just another obligation on an already overcrowded calendar. Encourage your members to attend on a consistent basis by following up with them when they are absent. Second, review the small group member covenant with the members of your group. This is an important step because it spells out exactly what each person in your group is committing to. Third, spend significant time with your group members outside of group meetings. Consider the early church for a moment, the early church spent a significant amount of time together. If you read the first two chapters of Acts, you can't help but notice the number of times the word “together” appears. The early church was committed to meaningful relationships and spent a significant amount of time with one-another to see that accomplished. Spending time together can be done in a one-on-one basis, as couples, or as smaller groups of men or women. The important point here is that meaningful relationships don't only grow during the time your small group meets. Fourth, and most important, live up to what you've committed to. Be a man or woman of integrity. (Yes, I know that one even stings me!) If you've committed to pray for someone during the week, pray for them and then follow-up with them during the week to see how they are doing. If you've committed to hold someone accountable in a specific area, hold them accountable but then also help them to develop a plan so they can be victorious in that area.
By increasing our commitment level to one another, we can begin to see these meaningful relationships flourish and we can see our small groups bring glory to God as a result of the ways that we support and care for one another.
No comments:
Post a Comment