One of God's purposes for a small group is that it be a place where care is mutually given. Our response to friends in need is a loud and clear statement to those in the group, the rest of the body of Christ, and to unbelievers who are watching us to see if our love "has feet and hands." Solomon wrote, "A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need" (Proverbs 17:17). For all of us, the question is not if crisis will come. The question is when it will come. On our darkest days, we need friends who gladly shoulder part of the burden as if they were "born to help in time of need." We also have the need to be that kind of friend to others.
God's intent is for the small group to be the primary care unit of the church. This works well for three reasons:
- In a healthy small group, friends will quickly become aware of needs that arise, making it possible to provide immediate and timely support.
- In a healthy small group, help can be provided by the very people who care the most about the person in need. Caring for someone you love is an almost instinctive response.
- In a healthy small group, everyone is a caregiver, so burnout due to care giving should be rare. If a church does not see small groups as its primary care unit, a few compassionate, but over-committed people, try to meet the needs of far too many. In that model, burnout is inevitable.
Over the last 20 years, I have seen small groups rally around hurting friends in every imaginable way. I have seen their continual presence in hospital rooms during a long-term illness. I have seen them provide meals, child care, and lawn maintenance when a family faced crisis. I have seen them provide comfort and incredible friendship to a grieving spouse. I have seen them meet every critical financial need imaginable. I have seen lives that are fully alive in Jesus Christ.
I know of a man who unexpectedly lost his job and, with it, his company car. After his small group encouraged him and prayed with him, one in the group pulled out his car keys and said, "I know you'll need a car this week to look for a job. This car is yours for the next week." Another in the group pulled out his billfold and gave him a handful of cash, all he had, saying, "This will help put some food on the table." The next week the same scene was played out: prayer, the loan of another car for a week, and cash for expenses. Later, the man who had lost his job told me, with tears in his eyes, that he had never experienced the love of Christ as he did in his small group during those two months when he went without work. The only ones more impacted were the caregivers in his small group.
People are watching to see if our words mean anything. If we take action to show genuine compassion and support for those in need, God often causes ripples of his love and power to touch not only people in the group, but many more in the church and the community.
This article is an excerpt from Baldwin's book, Fully Alive. For more information about this book and a complete church-wide campaign using this material, go to FCCstore.com or call Carol at 281-388-3533.
