Making Out with Strangers

Over the years I've had a number of different experiences with small groups. I find it interesting that in most places in life people who are thrown together randomly are given a task to do. A swim team. McDonald's employees. Bus riders. These are people who are forced to be together but are given something to do when they get together (Okay, so the bus riders don't so much have a task as they just hang out, but there aren't really any expectations). For most small groups put together by churches the task is being each other's best friends and closest confidants. (It's kind of like having some random guy at the mall just pick two people out of the crowd and say, "ready, set, make out!" (Although in our culture I suppose some people wouldn't mind that, but I think the point still stands)).

So I guess it's no wonder that from what I've experienced and what I've heard they have such a low success rate. Regular human relationships just don't function that way. At the same time, for those who are pursuing following Jesus it is important to have others in our lives who challenge and encourage us. People who we know are there for us and want to see us continue on the path to becoming who we were created to be. I think the key for me as a leader is encouraging these kind of relationships without specifying who they have to be with or exactly what they should look like.

Having said all that, I would like to give props to the small group of women from The Relcamation who have given me my faith back in small groups. They are constantly there for each other, have meaningful discussions, or sometimes not, like being together, and are growing in all areas because they are together. Now if we could just bottle whatever they've got going and pass it around we'd be all set!