When people think of church, they usually think of the place where you sit, listen, and sing on a Sunday morning, but church was intended to be much more. Church can be a lonely place if you never get past the crowd. You need relationships with other Christians you can invest in and be supported by. You need people to pray for and who will pray for you. You need a place where you can experience the family of God, not just a meeting with God. Small groups, or what we call life groups, are where those things happen.
Four things happen in a life group that you miss out on if you’re never a part of one: fellowship, discipleship, prayer, and mission.
1. In fellowship, we get to know the family we’re called to love
When people think of small groups, they usually think of Bible study—and studying the Bible is essential. But if we’re not growing closer to others in small groups, we’re not following the biblical pattern. The early church “devoted themselves to … fellowship” (Acts 2:42), meeting in homes—not just the temple—in order to love one another as Jesus commanded (Matthew 22:37-39).
In our life groups, we begin every week by sharing the highs and lows of our week, so we can get to know one another better, bear one another’s burdens, and celebrate one another’s joys. That’s why most groups either begin or end with snacks to provide a time when people can informally connect. It’s also why our groups do socials every few months and work at deeper relationships with one another.
You can’t love people you don’t know. Life groups are where you get to know the family you’re called to love.
2. In discipleship, we lean into the teaching until the penny drops
Hearing a sermon is important, but it’s as you try to reflect on what you’ve learned and hear others do the same that real transformation can take place. We use the discussion questions from the sermon handout to dig into the meaning of the passage that was preached that Sunday and discuss how it applies to us personally.
While Jesus preached some amazing sermons, where would His disciples be had it not been for questions like, “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15), “Why are you afraid, have you still no faith?” (Mark 4:40), “Do you understand what I have done to you?” (John 13:12), or “Do you love me?” (John 21:15-17). Questions help us to connect the dots from understanding to application. And just as Peter’s answers often helped the disciples to reflect on their own, hearing other people’s perspectives helps us to grow ourselves.
3. In prayer, we call on God for one another
The end of our formal small group time is spent in prayer. Some groups divide into men’s and women’s subgroups to pray while others are small enough to pray all together. While most Christians pray, it’s difficult to grow in prayer without hearing other Christians pray.
Look how the disciples learned to pray. We’re told that “one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples’” (Luke 11:1). The result was the Lord’s Prayer.
It’s perfectly fine to just listen to other people pray when you first start attending a life group, but it’s in groups like these that most Christians begin to pray out loud for the first time.
4. In mission, we do together what we can’t do on our own
You can love your neighbour and share your faith with a coworker, but there are so many other opportunities that require the response of a team of believers. In groups I’ve been a part of we’ve organized clean-ups for a neighbour’s yard, handed out gospel tracts in a local festival, been a part of an art exhibition, went carolling at Christmas, and brought Christmas gifts to homebound church members. Seeing the faces of those impacted and feeling the satisfaction of serving together made those experiences precious and unforgettable.
Each group will be able to respond to different needs, but if there’s a common commitment to do mission together, you’ll experience the joy of impact and service. Ask God to give you eyes to see the opportunities around you.
If you’re not already, make time to be a part of a life group. If your nerves make you feel reluctant, know how welcoming the more intimate setting can be. There’s a whole dimension to the Christian life that you can’t experience without it.
In awe of Him,
Paul
