Our small group took some time yesterday to evaluate what we were doing, and what we could do to make it better. We originally had the idea to get away from the usual small group routine, namely, getting together, studying the Bible or a book, praying, then leaving until next time. The phrase that we stuck to originally was, “doing life together.” The point of it was to go beyond a once every other week meet.
Seven months, and two new babies later, we found ourselves caught in a routine. We would gather for group dinner, and then once that was done (usually two hours later), we found ourselves with very little time to do anything else. Sometimes we would just sit and talk, other times we would study a few verses out of 1 Peter together. Then at the end, we were all tired, so we said a quick prayer and parted ways.
Was it bad? Absolutely not. I don’t want to come across as saying that our small group wasn’t good. It was good - I think we’ve got a great group of people. We just see that there is much more potential for us to grow closer together, and to truly be “the body” together.
So, we are now wrestling with how to do small group, and make it the most fruitful. Is structure good, or bad? I believe the answer is both good and bad, but the possibilities of no strict structure just might be able to yield a more fruitful group than one that is structured. But, what does that really look like?
If you have any insights or ideas, I’d love to hear them.
Small Group
