who do we invite to be a part of our lives?

I read a great chapter in one of my small group research resources this week that confirms that doing life together is one of the, if not THE most effective way to grow a church and reach the lost. The book is called You Can Double Your Class Size in Two Years or Less by Josh Hunt, and it addresses mainly Sunday School teachers, but I think the principles apply to all small groups, and to chruch growth in general. Allow me to share some excerpts:

"Most people are followers. They like to believe what their friends and families believe.
"What does this mean for evangelism and church growth? Everything. The key to fulfilling the Great Commission is to cross the social barrier before we try to cross the theological barrier . . . People are more likely to become Christians if they don't have to cross racial, linguistic, or social barriers to do so.
"Many of us have been trained to articulate our faith clearly and effectively. We can explain the gospel, and that is good. But non-Christians will probably never hear those words until a friend speaks them. We muse love people before we expect them to love our Lord. If we want people to believe that God loves and accepts them, we [His followers] must love and accept them.
"In practical terms, this means spending time with people. It means inviting them into our homes and going out to dinner with them. We party with the people we love. We will work with [just about] anyone, but we spend casual time only with the people we care about. The greatest gift we can give someone is ourselves and our time. If we were half as effective at crossing social barriers as we have been at crossing theological barriers, we would have won the world years ago. One reason we haven't reached our country and our communities for Christ is that we simply do not love them. If we loved them, they would come. But they will not cross the barriers; we must go to them. Note that Jesus tells us to "go and make disciples" (Matthew 29:18). We must take the initiative. We must do the going. . . [But] We are not loving [our church] visitors. We are not welcoming them into our homes. We are not inviting them to our parties. The greatest unmet need is love. The problem is not that we do not know anyone to love or to invite. We have plenty of people to invite. We simply are not doing it. . . What I suggest is that you stop inviting people to [Sunday School]. Quit inviting them to church. Invite them to a party instead. Ask them to go bowling. Invite them to go out for dinner. Get them on the softball team. What I have discovered is that if we can get them to the party, we cannot keep them away from [church or] class.
"There are a lot of bored and lonely people out there who are hungry for friendship. Fortunately, that is something we have. It is part and parcel of the gospel. All we need to do is widen our circle - intentionally. Every time my wife and I invite people into our home, I ask myself, "Is this something to which I could invite an outsider or a newcomer?" Often it's not, and that's OK. You do not have to invite outsiders to everything. You can have parties just for your Christian friends. But if you want to [grow your group], invite non-Christians to be a part of your life on a regular basis. . .
"With how many people can you maintain this kind of personal involvement? Not many, so we need all hands on deck. We need everyone involved in the ministry of loving people, every member a minister. We say this quite a bit, but we often fail to explain what it means. It means everyone loving someone. A minister loves and cares for the flock. This is life and friendship we're talking about. It's not a program; it's a way of living. It is loving one another. It is what if means to be the body of Christ. Everyone needs to be loved in this way, because we are all capable of falling. Everyone needs to be loved and it will take everyone loving to get the job done."

And this is the essence of Life Groups. I hope this has been encouraging to you that you're on the right track to altering your world. Whether you're planning a Matthew Party, leading a life group, or planning to start one soon, know that as we invite people to be a part of our lives and welcome them into our freindship circles, we will be more effectively reaching them for Christ. Keep up the good work, keep up the love.

playing the game of church

"I see people who sit in church week after week and don't really act out their faith, or they stay really weak in their faith. They've figured out the game. They can come in and sing a few songs and tune out the message until it's over, and they think they're spiritual because they sat through it all.
"Going to church week after week doesn't make you spiritual. You need to be the church. We, all of us, are ministers. We should be doing church, not just going to a building. You've got to be involved, plugged in, and using your spiritual gifts" - Brock Gill - Christian Illusionist (quoted from TPE April 20, 2008)

When I read this article, it got me pumped because I'm excited to belong to a church where most people don't play the game and get by with bare minimum spirituality. So many Crossroaders ARE the church and understand that spirituality is about so much more than just punching the church time clock. So much of my passion about Life Groups is wrapped up in the fact that I get to see people pressing closer to God. If people choose to lead a group, they lean closer to Him for help and guidance to be the spiritual leader He has made them to be for the sake of others who are not as mature. When people choose to be a part of a group, they go beyond the corporate setting of a Sunday morning and "plug in" to the challenge of being authentic and breaking through to personal growth as they live and walk closer to Jesus. I think that, more than anything else is what fires me up, spurs me on, and motivates me to do more than I even thought possible.

I suppose it's all about the choice, though, because it's really up to us. We choose our attitude, our actions, whom we talk to, where we go, how we respond when others offend us, how much time we spend pressing into God, where we lead, whom we follow, where we serve. It's all about choice. Let's choose more of Him, and let Him choose for us when we don't know the right choice, or when we're tempted not to move beyond our own fleshly desires. Because we can choose to go to church or we can choose to be the church. I personally choose the latter. How about you?

Brag about your weak spot

"If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness . . . But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." -2 Corinthians 11:30, 12:9-10

Perspective is so crucial when we face the hard issues of life. At times it seems like as Christ-followers, we have even more difficulties, which feels unfair in ways. We protest, "I asked for a Savior, not more trials! Why me? Why now? Why this?" But some of us go through pain just so God can show Himself faithful and good to the world. Paul was willing to accept his thorn, his weakness, and his pain for the Lord's glory. What's more, not only did he accept them, he learned to embrace and boast in these trials because he'd gained the perspective to see the result after the pain: God's glory and supernatural strength from His Spirit.

When was the last time I delighted in an insult or a persecution? Since when have I boasted in my hardships? How often do I see trouble or conflict as opportunities for God to flex His Muscles and show how strong He really is for me and through me?

If others see our life as nothing but a bed of roses with success and prosperity at every turn, we might get the credit God deserves. This is especially true in our ruggedly individualistic culture of materialism and self-serving motives. However, if we face the normal trials of life on planet earth and allow God to bring us through to the other side of Strong, will that not bring Him more praise, thanks, honor, and glory? Won't more people see their need for Him if they can observe the way He strengthens His children in the midst of their greatest obstacles and pain?

So the next time you face that sickness or conflict or opposition, put on a smile, pick up your step, lift up your chin, and watch how the Lord can glorify Himself through you by being your Strength. He'll bring you justice; He'll give you healing; He'll grant you exactly what you need to accomplish victory and bring praise to Himself in the process. We can all delight in our weaknesses because we get to be His demonstration of power as He does through us what we could never do on our own.

First Blog

Hi. I'm just checking to see how this works. My name is Robyn Langdon and this blog is for the purpose of discipling my fellow life group leaders, as well as anyone else who cares to read what I post. I pray you will find this helpful and insightful. Please comment and let me know when you read and what feedback you might have. Let's alter our world!