First, let me get this out of the way.........WOOHOOOO!!!!.......Ok...now on to the blog....

I am SO excited about how the Small Groups are going. While there have been expected bumps here and there, the groups have gone well. Each group is a little different--again, expected--but there has been ample opportunity for the groups to congeal and move toward nurturing relationships within the church. Something I have learned was needed more than I had originally thought.

We will soon be stopping to evaluate the experience as a whole and give people the chance to continue or not, as they wish. Some may want to try a different kind of group which will create the need for a re-launch of Small Groups, giving others who have not been in a Small Group the chance to connect.

As we evaluate and prepare for a re-launch in January, there are bumps to be overcome. The largest bump for strong Small Group ministries is the temptation to form cliques. Having strong cliques in a church is detrimental to church growth and over-all church health. It can divide congregations and create power struggles that impede ministry and minimize the influence of a strong vision. To avoid falling into this trap, Small Groups are encouraged to do the following:

1. Be involved in something other than Small Group. Small Group is not your church. It is only a way in which your spirit can be nurtured and supported through study, prayer and conversation. As you are being nurtured, it is important to be involved in other ministries of the church will help you keep focused on the bigger church vision of 'making disciples of Jesus Christ'.

2. Don't herd with your Small Group. When at larger church events, don't gather with your Small Group exclusively. In fact, you may need to be intentional about interacting with others outside your group. One of the points of larger church events is to welcome others, encouraging them to be a part of the church. Small Groups that 'herd' wherever they go send a message of 'us' and 'them' which can be counter-productive to the Radical Hospitality of the Vision.

3. Encourage the Small Group to do projects together that are reminders of the bigger picture. Sometimes as Small Groups meet over time, they develop blinders to what the church is doing as a whole. Getting the group involved in projects at the church--mixing in with other groups and individuals--not only helps the church in ministry, it keeps the group from unintentionally forgetting why it is a group--to be one step in a journey of being a disciple of Jesus.

I hope this helps. And if you are one who is interested in Small Groups, there will be opportunity to get involved. Not only is Women Of Wellness (W.O.W.) continuing to meet as an open group (anyone can come), there will be a re-launch of Small Groups after the holiday season.