A man walked into a convenience store, threatened the clerk with a knife, and demanded cash. When she gave him the money, he thanked her, walked out and proceeded to sit down on the curb in front of the store. When police arrived, he jumped up and announced to them that he was the man they wanted. The perplexed police officers put him in cuffs and arrested him. At the trial, he gave his reason for robbing the store and for immediately giving himself up. He had recently been released from jail, and he missed his cell mates. He wanted to return to prison so that he could be with them again. He got his wish.
Ahh, the power of community! Some people will do just about anything to have it, and when it is taken away, they will desire it so much that they will do almost anything to get it back. Small groups in the church are in the unique position to offer that kind of real, authentic community to a world of people who desire it.
Paul and Silas knew firsthand about the power of this kind of community:
" They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn't escape. So he took no chances but put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening" (Acts 16:23-25, NLT).
The community Paul and Silas shared was making an impact on the prisoners around them. People were listening. You know the rest of the story—after a sudden, foundation-rocking earthquake, Paul and Silas saved the guard from committing suicide, led the man to Christ, and baptized him and his whole family.
This is a great model for us today of how a "small group" can make an impact on people around them, leading families to Jesus. Real, authentic community has that kind of power. People often begin attending church services to hear about Christianity, and they can experience friendliness, welcoming community, and possibly hear the gospel message there. However, they learn best what Christianity is really about in smaller groups where they can encounter real faith being lived out among real friends.
An article in Rev. magazine (March/April 2005 issue - www.revmagazine.com) cited a recent Gallup Poll on the relationship between people's satisfaction with their churches and what they call "connectedness." The results, described in the article, "Creating a Culture of Connectivity," are enlightening. The author, D. Michael Lindsay, summarizes the findings like this: "God's gift to the world cannot be known unless God's people purposefully connect in genuine friendships in the church."
Out of the many survey findings that are confirming for small groups, one especially stands out. Ninety-eight percent of respondents were either "very" or "somewhat satisfied" with their churches when they had church-based friendships that extend outside weekly worship services—either through small groups, informal settings, or other settings. Even in groups not organized specifically as "small group Bible studies," but rather around affinities such as golfing or quilt making, for instance, people grow in their faith. "Faith grows in the presence of faithful people," Lindsay says.
Affinity groups, neighborhood groups, and workplace groups especially work well at meeting unchurched people where they are, helping them find real friends, and helping them to connect with Christ in the midst of connections with Christians. This happens especially when the leader and the group are intentional about being open to everyone—when the group is not just for "insiders."
The Early Church knew the secret and power of connecting with people in the world so that those in the world could connect with God along with them. I like how the Weymouth New Testament translates 1 John 1:3: "That which we have seen and listened to we now announce to you also, in order that you also may have fellowship in it with us, and this fellowship with us is fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ."
Since people in the world are searching for this kind of fellowship/community, and since the church is the one entity that has real community to offer, it seems obvious that we must do everything we can to offer our community to the world. It is time for to be purposeful, innovative, and highly motivated to provide real community to the people living in our communities. Perhaps it is time to move back to the method Jesus and the early church modeled for us—the model of building redeeming relationships. Buildings, campaigns, programs, and institutions are "our" way of doing church. Relationships—pure and simple—are Jesus' way. Imagine if we returned to His way—the results could be groundbreaking!
