Shameless Plug

I write this to people who read this piddly little blog who are affiliated with a local church body and who aren't involved much more beyond a weekly worship service.  Some of you reading this right now even go to the same church I do.  This is for you.

Join a community group. 

You may wonder what the heck is a community group is.  Other churches might call them life groups... small groups... cell groups.  But in any case, most of the time these groups meet in homes to study the Bible, challenge each other to Christlikeness, and simply to enjoy each other's company.    

As someone who has spent much of the last 12 years in some kind of outside-of-Sunday-morning small group, I am here to tell you that you need to make this a priority in your schedule.

It sounds like just another thing to add in to your busy schedule, doesn't it?  Maybe you have small kids and getting out is a hassle.  Maybe you have older kids with busy after school schedules.  Maybe you're not much of a social butterfly and you'd prefer to just stay at home and not have other people get all up in your business. 

You are missing out.  Big time.

Here's why I have fallen in love with the small group model:

Small groups embody the Biblical example of the early church

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common.  They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,  praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.   Acts 2:42-47

Do what the Bible says.  'Nuff said.

Small groups become family
I love love love Sunday morning worship.  However, there is never never never enough time to chat with everyone as thoroughly as I want to.  Community group (as my church calls it) gives me time to really get to know my brothers and sisters in Christ.  It becomes a mini-church within the big-church.  As my friend put it a few years ago, small groups become a family who goes to the big family reunion every Sunday morning to see everyone else!  Without family here in town, I depend on these times to fill my quota of relationshipping.

Small groups challenge my growth
Once I made the decision to become a Christ follower back in 2000, I almost immediately got involved in one of the collegiate ministries on my campus.  My very first small group was a bunch of college girls sitting around the living room of one of the women from the church we all went to.  We went through book studies and Elaine shared her love and wisdom with us.  We shared with each other our struggles, joys, excitement over the things God was showing us in our studies, etc.  I was hooked and still can't get enough.

See, being in a small group setting provides a chance for people to get to know each other well enough that they begin to get real and authentic.  It's so easy at your weekly worship service to put on your little outift, plaster on your fake smile, and tell everyone that you're ok when in reality your world might be falling apart.  You can let your guard down and know you're in a safe place to do so.  

It's also been invaluable to me to see others share their struggles and then their consequent triumphs.  I have learned that I'm not alone in the issues I deal with, and that God always makes a way to get through it.  I've sat and prayed with small groups and then seen these prayers answered in mighty ways.  These examples have bolstered my faith substantially.

Small groups are a great place to ask questions
I've never been to a church service with a follow-up Q & A session.  My small groups have always been the perfect place to ask the "dumb" questions and not feel dumb in the process!  The Bible is a tough book to understand; humans have spent centuries trying to figure it all out and much of its content is regularly debated even among believers.  Asking questions in small group settings has helped me learn more about God's Word more than any other Bible-y/church-y activity. 

And the moral of the story is...
 Join a community/cell/small group today.

(If you need one, come with Andrew and me to ours!  I may be every so slightly biased, but I think Bogey Hills Baptist Church has some of the most awesome people I know).

The end.