It's vital that we don't lose sight of our new group members.
It's happened to me, and I'll bet it's happened to you. You walk into a room filled with laughter and conversation. You have a smile on your face, ready to embark on the journey of relationships—except when you try to join in, all you hear is "chirp, chirp, chirp." Yes, the cricket has landed.
When we promote small groups at the Simple Church, we constantly tell potential group members that "there is chair for you." And we tell our small-group leaders that we always want to make room for one more. That's a core element of our small-group ministry: making room for newcomers.
That's why I was surprised one Sunday when a woman approached me and asked if we had any life groups where she could "meet people." I thought to myself: Well, that's what happens in all of our life groups.
I asked her if she had been to one of our groups, and she stated that she had—but no one talked to her. My mind ran through a number of scenarios about how that could happen, but they all tilted toward this woman as the culprit. Maybe she came in late or was shy. Maybe she didn't really engage in the conversations, and that's why she was unable to meet anyone.
Then, a week later, I went to an event early to see if people needed help. I am no stranger to this crowd. But when I walked into the room, only 1 out of about 15 people even acknowledged me with a brief smile. "Chirp, chirp" was what I heard. Everyone was engaged in their own conversations and fun, and I was an afterthought.
I felt like God had given me a real-life illustration on the feelings of that young woman. In that instant, I realized what she meant. All of our mottos didn't matter. There had been room for her in the small group she attended, but there had been no effort made to include her in relationships.
To read more, click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment