The past few weeks or couple of months now I guess...First Southern kicked off its Northwest Life Group. Its a small group geared for people making the transition out of the college lifestyle and into the workplace.
God has really blessed the group numerically, nearly doubling it in the first week, and in love for one another. It's been a neat process to be a part of and I'm thankful for the opportunity God has given me to be in the group.
If you look at some of the people in the group, it's really a hodgepodge of people. You wouldn't expect these people to get together. But here is a group of young professionals that have two things in common...a love for Jesus...and no friends. Jk on the no friends.
The same goes for identification with a church. Although, you have many commonalities, sometimes people that are young professionals(not just this group) can feel displaced. Connection in churches are often limited to traditional categories of age groups. This inflexibility and lack of diversity restricts the incorporation of people that don't quite fit into traditional categories of ministry. They don't quite fit into the college ministry because they aren't in college. They might not be married. They probably don't have kids. On the other hand some of them do, so that makes it hard too because they don't fit into the other traditional categories.
A spiritually mature person is more likely to overlook minor quirks or character defects that would otherwise preclude them for social interaction. The spiritually mature person has discerned what issues are key to maintaining Christian Fellowship. This person will not divide fellowship over minor issues. In essence they have learned, as a favorite preacher/scholar of mine(Tony Merida) says,"to keep the main things the plain things, and the plain things the main things."
By making the focal point of these relationships the pursuit of a love relationship with Jesus Christ, it frees individuals to act on their desire to have community by engaging in relationships with people. In order to have community, you need to have people. So if you desire to be in and have community, at some point you must take the risk of engaging people to start a relationship and build community.
God has really blessed the group numerically, nearly doubling it in the first week, and in love for one another. It's been a neat process to be a part of and I'm thankful for the opportunity God has given me to be in the group.
If you look at some of the people in the group, it's really a hodgepodge of people. You wouldn't expect these people to get together. But here is a group of young professionals that have two things in common...a love for Jesus...and no friends. Jk on the no friends.
Displacement Effect
However, a common problem of young professionals making that transition out of school is really trying to find friends, then even harder...maintain those relationships. It's been very encouraging for a lot of people in that group to have community within the "life group." When you're in school it seems easier to identify with a community than when you're no longer in school. Yes, there are people that you identify with from work based on common occupation, however, this doesn't mean that because you work together that you'll want to hang out or even get along. Moreover, you're limited to essentially one location to meet people, whereas school provides a variety of outlets to meet people via classes, clubs, etc. There are more accessible ways of interfacing with different social networks. The same goes for identification with a church. Although, you have many commonalities, sometimes people that are young professionals(not just this group) can feel displaced. Connection in churches are often limited to traditional categories of age groups. This inflexibility and lack of diversity restricts the incorporation of people that don't quite fit into traditional categories of ministry. They don't quite fit into the college ministry because they aren't in college. They might not be married. They probably don't have kids. On the other hand some of them do, so that makes it hard too because they don't fit into the other traditional categories.
Characteristics of Successful Post College Groups
Something that I have noticed in my interaction with the group at First Southern and Epic Church, is that both of these groups share 3 essential characteristics that allow them to be successful. Maturing Christians
The first, and perhaps most important characteristic is, an individual desire to be in relationship with Jesus Christ and pursue Him. Both the groups at FSBC and Epic are built around a solid core of people who are spiritually maturing. No longer infants in the faith, they've made the transition from 'milk' to craving 'solid food.' These people have walked long enough with Jesus to know how to feed themselves spiritually by investing in the study of God's Word. Moreover, their spiritual appetites will not be satisfied with cute diatribes(common of most churches) aimed at convincing someone they need to surrender their life to Jesus. They've already surrendered their lives to Christ and desire to know more fully the power of Christ's resurrection and to be continually transformed into His likeness. (Phil 3:10 Amp) They desire intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Commitment to Community
The second characteristic is a desire for Christian Community. This desire for an affinity group based around the love relationship with Jesus Christ produces several things. Namely, this desire provides the reason to meet. As mentioned earlier, most young professionals are in an awkward transitory period where they may feel displaced from traditional ministry categories provided by the church. A positive side effect of this displacement is gratitude. Because of the limited number of people who share similar life circumstances...anywhere. People become less picky about who they would consider socializing with. The two predominate thoughts that override normal social conventions is the former(relationship w/Jesus Christ and spiritually maturing) and later(desire for community).A spiritually mature person is more likely to overlook minor quirks or character defects that would otherwise preclude them for social interaction. The spiritually mature person has discerned what issues are key to maintaining Christian Fellowship. This person will not divide fellowship over minor issues. In essence they have learned, as a favorite preacher/scholar of mine(Tony Merida) says,"to keep the main things the plain things, and the plain things the main things."
By making the focal point of these relationships the pursuit of a love relationship with Jesus Christ, it frees individuals to act on their desire to have community by engaging in relationships with people. In order to have community, you need to have people. So if you desire to be in and have community, at some point you must take the risk of engaging people to start a relationship and build community.
Works of the Faith
Lastly, a desire to live an authentic Christian life by being obedient to the commands of Jesus. These people are spiritually mature enough to know that true spiritual maturity isn't a simple measure of knowledge. Rather spiritual maturity is measured within the context of relationships. Our relationship with Jesus Christ and others. We demonstrate our spiritual maturity and continue to grow in maturity by exercising fruits of the Spirit. These maturing young Christians desire community, but also value authenticity. It isn't enough to have a group that just meets, they aren't looking for a Sunday School experience. They desire genuine Christian Community, people in relationships that truly love one another. They desire to live out live out their faith, works that demonstrate true love for God seen in how they treat others. (John 14:15, 21; James 1:22-27)Products of the Process
When you get a group of people like this together, people that are spiritually maturing in their love relationship with Jesus, desire genuine Christian community centered around love for God and love for others; the result is that this community will grow. They will grow in love for one another, they will develop spiritual maturity by enduring in love for one another. Inevitably, there will be disagreements and hurt feelings, however, if Christ continues to remain Lord and leader of the group, then those issues will be resolved for the sake of the relationship with Jesus Christ and the group(body/church).
Moreover, this group will grow numerically, because they'll recognize(hopefully) other people that are like-minded yet alone. They'll invite them to be a part of their community. Eventually, if the bible continues to be studied and the Word of God honored, then the group will recognize that what they have is good, moreover that Jesus commands them to share what they have. Now, instead of just sitting in the group and rejoicing with one another, they'll allow that joy they have from within the group to overflow into other parts of their lives. They'll desire to reach out to the lost in their lives as community. They'll desire to serve others demonstrating the love of Christ as community.
Transforming Community
There is a process of transformation that takes place between isolated and alone young professional, to like-minded young professionals seeking community. The young professionals becoming Christ centered community that desires to live genuinely with one another to Christ centered community that seeks to obey Christ by taking the gospel to the nations. This sounds a lot like a church to me. Isn't it? Now, I don't know that this "life group" should become a new church. I think that churches, that is the formal organization, are born out of necessity. I mean, if your initial group continues to grow and creates multiple groups that's great. But if they are still able to interface and serve in the church that started the small group there's no need to start a new one. These are young professionals who will become the next generation of the church. They should stay, and learn from the ones in the church who are older while they still can. These older people should, hopefully, also be more mature believers. They can lend insight, experience and advice for both spiritual matters and life in general. The older people in the church, hopefully, will serve as mentors and disciplers for the younger generation. So no, I don't think that just because the group gets big that you should start a 'church plant.'
If however, the group continues growing and the formal organization/facility is no longer able to house or serve everyone at the church; then you two options. You can expand the facility and staff or you can plant a new church in the place that makes sense.
What Makes Sense?
I do think that you should plant churches and do ministry in places where there are no churches and where the gospel hasn't been taken before. However, I think that too often seemingly well intentioned people decided to try and start 'church plants' without using their brains nor really consulting scripture. If we look to the model we see in Acts, churches spring up from the places where Christians dwell. So in terms of the example above, I think that it makes the most sense to make the 'hub' of the new church in an area where most of the 'community' dwells.
But I will say this, the church spread in Acts largely because of persecution. Who knows, if the persecution of Christians didn't occur in Jerusalem, then perhaps the church would never have left. In most parts of the world, this same pattern still holds true, except in America. There is no persecution here, so Christians don't spread. The opposite is true in America, Christians conglomerate. Using Tucson, AZ as an example, generally speaking the suburbs of Tucson house fairly large churches. Most of the Christians also live in the suburbs. Generally speaking, the mid-town and down town areas are home to largely unchurched/unsaved people. The churches in downtown and midtown are few and far between or dying.
So what should happen
I think that in order to reach these unchurched/saved people that the Church, needs to move out of their area of comfort and into the area of need. I think we, the Church, need to examine whether or not we have made an idol out of our comfortable suburban homes so much so that we are unwilling to move into an area of Tucson, or where ever you are, that is' seedy.' This is a systemic problem taking the mentality of short term overseas missions on a whole new level.
When most people go overseas on short term missions, they should know that their impact will be minimal simply due to time constrictions. Therefore, a the preferred mission strategy is to partner with a church in the area that is local, so that when the missions team leaves new believers will have a group of Christians to identify with. This group will serve as spiritual family protecting and nurturing new believers into maturity.
When people do long term missions, the life impact is greater, more time in life is spent with people. 'Career' missionaries integrate into local culture/community and share life with the people they desire to reach with the gospel.
So why then have we adopted a short term missions focus at home in the States, without the church? Ministries or programs will happen in unchurched areas, but after the event is over, its really over. There is no one from the church that lives in the community for prolonged interaction. No one to be a bearer of the gospel. As mentioned earlier spiritual maturity and the gospel aren't simply matters of knowledge but relationships. Life on life. So rather than simply going to do 'outreach' why don't we move from where we are into the places that need to be reached? If we think this is crazy and ludicrous, then maybe we need to question whether we've placed something above the priorities and desires of our Savior and God.
What's the point?
Eventually, some of you may say that, this is all pointless discussion and that getting Christians to move into communities that are unchurched/reached to start a new church won't do anything. Because the Christians don't even interact on a regular basis with the people in the neighborhood they currently reside.
Well let me put this back into the context of the small groups and Christ Centered community described above. We can't ever lose sight of the initial 3 principles that got the initial group off the ground. Most importantly we can't ever lose sight of the love relationship with Jesus Christ. Once you begin to grow and have formalized organization and a facility, it's easy to lose sight of the essentials of life with Christ and life with other Christians. It's easy to lose sight of the commands of Christ to go out and make disciples when you become a part of an organization that seems to be doing just that. However, we need to question what we ourselves are doing. Each of us has a responsibility to be going and making disciples. Each of us is responsible for growing in spiritual maturity with Jesus Christ in the context of His Church, community. Life on life. We can't teach people we disciple to obey commands of Christ that we aren't obeying ourselves. New believers are just like children. Children don't learn how to do something simply by being told how to do it. It must be demonstrated and observed. In the same way we need to be growing in our love for Christ by growing in our obedience to His commands. Just as we individually should always be 'working out our salvation with fear and trembling.'( Phil 2) We should also examine how we function as a community, the body of Christ and make sure that we are keeping Christ as the center, that Christ is the head.( Ephesians 4)
