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.
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