Why do you do small groups? I’ll give you a few examples of how I answer this question, then I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to hit the “comment” button below and share…even if someone else has already taken yours!
1. Because Jesus did.
He fully invested His life in 12 guys and downright did life with them. I think He modeled the importance of relationships and that we would be wise to follow His example. Jesus was the ultimate small group leader and we can learn a lot about leading a group from studying what He did with His. For that, I love to use a Harmony of the Gospels. A Harmony takes the life of Jesus and places it in chronological order. It’s one of the greatest tools for studying the life of Christ. You can find out more about one here.
2. Because God made me relational.
I’m an introvert. I don’t know if that surprises you, especially considering that my calling is so relational. Even though I’m an introvert and my natural tendency would be to close myself off, I fight against that. The reason I do is because God made me with a need even He chose not to meet. To live life as it was designed to be lived, I require meaningful and transformational relationships. I need relationships and I have come to discover that life lived in community is better than life lived alone.
3. Because I can’t do the “one another’s” alone.
Over forty times in the New Testament followers of Jesus are instructed to live out one-another’s. Serve one another, care for one another, encourage one another, confess your faults to one another, love one another, and many more. I can’t do those by myself. I need community to obey these commands, and so do others.
4. Because of life change.
Life change is optimized in community. God has chosen to use relationships in the process of transforming us to be like His Son. Whether it’s others speaking truth into my life, providing me opportunities to live unselfishly, lovingly supporting me as I encounter the trials of life, giving me occasions to extend forgiveness and grace, process the truths of God’s Word together, or any other number of growth engines, I grow in relationships with others more than I would alone.
5. Because of the Great Commission.
I know of no better vehicle for accomplishing the Great Commission than small groups. I love large gatherings where we worship God together and engage His Word as it’s taught. I love the personal spiritual disciplines that are absolutely essential to knowing God. But as I think about Jesus’ command to make disciplemakers I am struck by the incredible effectiveness of small groups. I love building into the lives of people. I love investing in future leaders. I love the idea that we can extend our impact and influence far beyond ourselves.
Those are just five of the reasons I do small groups. What about you?
Adam Workman
LifeSupport Online 