It has been a difficult 5 months for us at our church. Last fall, our senior pastor was found to be in sin. The elders immediately asked for his resignation. Two days later, in our Sunday services, we announced what had happened and have been dealing with this "earthquake" and its aftershocks since that day.
How does a church survive such a trauma? How do we hold our church family together through such a difficult time? For us, it has been our small groups that have helped us through this last 5 months. Before this tragic event, we had about 50% of our church family in small groups. We have discovered that the community of families sharing life together has helped us to live through something none of us ever expected to happen.
We have had people leave our church. A church always loses people when something like this happens. It has been very difficult to watch.It has been heartbreaking to see longtime members simply walk away from our church. I got an e-mail tonight telling me of another family that has decided to call it quits. For all our best efforts, there are families who have left our church looking for another church family.
What I have seen is this—those who are not in a small group are those who have left our church. Not all of them, mind you, but most of those who have left the church were not committed to a small group community. The small groups create "Velcro." Those in small groups have a community of people who care for them, who pray with them, who love them and, most of all, who provide a place to share the hurts and sorrows of life. They have a place to grieve. They have a family of believers to care for them.
In light of our pastoral loss, the elders of our church have put us to this task—to focus our attention on small groups and discipleship. What they realize, as do I, is that it is the small groups that bond us together and care for our body.
How does this help you who are not going through what we are experiencing? Let me suggest several things you need to know about people in your church:
- Small groups are the best way for people to find community in your church.
- When life's problems happen, it will be the small group that will care for your people in the best possible way.
- Times of crisis bring out the best in the community of faith. In those times of trial, you will be amazed to see those in small groups care for each other.
- Sharing all things in common happens most visibly in times of crisis.
- Needs are not bad things. They offer the body of Christ an opportunity to care for each other. It is important to share this most important part of the ministry with the small group leaders.
- People are reluctant to share their needs with one another. You will need to teach the body that being transparent in community is vital for the health of the church.
- Crisis in a church and in people's lives does one of two things—it draws us together or it scatters us. You will find that those in small groups will draw together to care for each other. Many of those who are not in community will scatter from the flock. It is a harsh reality, but from my experience it is true.
Sharing all things in common in the church is a vital part of a church's health. It will not happen on Sunday morning. It must happen in small communities where the church family is doing life together. I am more convinced than I have ever been that small groups are the backbone of the local church.In this time in history, it is the small group where the life of the church can really be lived out. And realize that crisis is not always a bad thing in your church family. It is where you find the family of God pulling together and caring for one another.
Small groups will be the place where the church family will care for the needs of its members, the place where we share all things in common.
