We are encouraging each other to “Get In The Game”, to turn up the volume a little bit in a few specific areas of our spiritual life, attending church regularly, connecting with others, serving, giving, and reaching out to others. Today, #2, Get Involved In A Life Group.

At Existence we call our groups Life Groups, 1) because there are all kinds of groups devoted to different interests and activities (kinda like life), and 2) we thought if we called the groups Life Groups people wouldn’t automatically react negatively in case they had a bad experience in the past with Small Groups! Pretty clever. The bottom line, though, is God’s plan for our personal spiritual growth involves having close, authentic, honest personal relationships with a few, trusted people (i.e. Small group). God made us with the need for social contact, if we isolate too much we get weird. We need each other, and others need you!

Different people have different reactions to the idea of becoming involved in a small group. The Extraverts say, “A small group, great! How many can I be a part of?” The Introverts say, “Small group…I already am a small group, all by myself. And we are doing just fine, thank you.” Let me just say, the world is divided up between both kinds of people, and we need both to be in the group! Granted, the ultra Extraverts can work on cooling their jets a little and NOT always talk (it might take a little practice) and the Introverts can peek a little out of their shells and let the rest of us know what’s going on in there. I know it’s worth sharing. But that’s the beauty of a group, it’s being yourself, and finding out that there are a whole lot of other people out there who want to do the same.

Here are some positive ideas associated with small groups:
Belonging: We all have the need to belong to something bigger than ourselves. We formed “clubs” when we were kids (remember?), this is a grown-version of that, with other people who want to belong. Check out reruns of “Cheers.” Same idea, without the Bible part. Actually, I can imagine a small group meeting in a pub…it worked for C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

Understanding: There is something amazing that happens when people really understand each other. We don’t even have to agree on everything, just understand, acknowledge, appreciate another’s perspective.

Support: When there is a sense of belonging and understanding, a small group is a place of support. Everybody gets beat up by life, sometimes we beat ourselves up, and we need help. Giving support is really cool, getting supported…priceless.

Accountability: A concept that is misused sometimes by control freaks. What it really means is having people in my life who I give permission to help me keep on track. We are not meant to walk the Christian journey alone, we need people to compare notes with, to bounce stuff off of, to let our guard down with.

Responsibility: A good thing, not a bad thing. Most of us never learned that healthy relationships don’t just magically happen, they require ongoing and preventative maintenance. Relationships need to be nurtured, worked on. That is the cool thing about a life group…it gives us the opportunity to develop and work on relationships by taking responsibility and committing to the process.

If you’re one of the those who might be thinking about trying a Life Group but you’re a little nervous, let me address a few fears:

1) “I’ll be bored. I tried a small group before and it was awful!”
Our Life Groups are based on different interests. Some center on a sport activity (Basketball, Soccer, Softball, etc.) The idea is to sweat a lot, have great fun together, then to spend a little time connecting and praying for each other. Others study either a Book of the Bible or another interesting book, then pray together. There may be some sweating. Other groups are about serving (prayer group, etc). If you don’t find a group that fits your interest, you might consider starting your own group! It’s allowed. We want as many people as possible to get to know each other. I’m hoping for a group to help me figure out my Bluetooth.

2) “I’m afraid I won’t fit in. I don’t know a lot about Christian stuff, people might look down on me.”
Great! We welcome anyone at any place in their spiritual journey. Plus, it’s more about connecting with people than a Jeopardy quiz. We all feel a little weird in new situations. And the truth is, we all have the same fears…we don’t know enough, we don’t feel accepted, what if I say something stupid? A Life Group is the perfect place to stretch a little, to reach out to others and find that you do belong. And it doesn’t matter how much you know about Bible stuff, we are all learners.

3) “I’m too busy. Plus, I don’t want to commit to something and then flake out.”
First, we do what’s important to us. I suggest prioritizing things a little and ask yourself if you might benefit from some human contact. Trust me, it’s worth it. Second, consider the commitment…maybe a couple of hours a week, not that tough. However, “Commitment Phobia” is at epidemic proportions in this culture, and the main culprit is “Me!”, I am the center of the universe, my needs must be met, NOW!, I am important, I have a schedule, I, I, I,…you get the point. I’ll take a pill.
Here’s the deal, I think the benefits of being in a Life Group far outweigh the hit on your schedule, and once you get connected you won’t want to flake out.

Finally, we all know the basic rules for being in a group…be on time, listen to others, don’t interrupt, etc. Here are some new ones:
• Give it a good shot. Put solid effort into the group.
• Be yourself. Please.
• Make mistakes. Say dumb stuff.
• Laugh
• Laugh at someone else (nicely, with love)
• Get laughed at (and handle it gracefully, you can take it!)
• Find out how normal you are with the same fears, hopes, dreams, insecurities, passions, and flaws as everybody else.

Feel free to ask around to see how others are enjoying their Life Group. And we hope you will consider being a part of one…soon! To find out more please contact Shawn Kennedy (Teaching Pastor and Terribly Nice Fellow) skexistence@hotmail.com, he’ll take care of you.

Blessings,
Gerry Limpic

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