Comments on: A place where everybody knows your name

By: scott

scott — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 00:20:00 +0000

I am still fairly new to the whole small group thing. In my last church, it was a mens group and not very…..”meaty” if you get my drift. An old guy(don’t get me wrong here either, they love the Lord) would sit and read and give a few of his thoughts and we were done. If anyone had any questions that were on the edge of anything, they sorta got ignored or brushed over….for instance, who was Cain afraid of that would murder him? We asked that question and he had no answer….

Anyway, I am in a new church with some dern smart people in it, but the thing I like most is I am challenged to think in the new setting. I am still kinda shy and to myself with some thoughts (that is my personality), but I am becoming more comfortable, mainly due to the fact that I do feel welcome when I come in. I think you bring up some very valid points here!

By: shaeman

shaeman — Wed, 10 May 2006 18:35:00 +0000

I think you've hit a very valid nail squarely on the head. The thing we all need to help us walk out this life in Christ in a way that imitates Him is to have people with whom we can be open, honest and vulnerable. To know and to be known is the beauty and blessing of accountability and intimacy.

As the pastor of small groups in my church, I can tell you I've seen the difference (on a large scale) having said community can make, not only in a person, but in the larger corporate Body. Whole sections of our church are cared for, connected, encouraged, discipled and challenged. All the while another, smaller (thank God) segment feels disconnected, uncared for and are certainly not being intimately accountable in a way that produces further/deeper discipleship.

I think the call to community is really a non-negotiable if we are really serious about living our lives as we were intended. I certainly don't know what I'd do without mine!

By the way, you shouldn't apologize for your "secular" illustration. I really don't find it all that "secular" to begin with (in the literal definition of the world). Secular, taken from the latin, Saeculum meaning "of this world in time" as opposed to "eternal"....I find the sentiment quite eternal. Don't you? I think it expresses the heart of God for community in a world dominated by individuality and isolation. Nah. Not "secular", really.

By: KJKEB

KJKEB — Sun, 23 Apr 2006 21:27:00 +0000

Here is the link to the beginning of the thread that I referenced in my post.

http://www.naznet.com/community/showthread.php?t=4292

By: KJKEB

KJKEB — Sun, 23 Apr 2006 21:24:00 +0000

Maybe it’s time you and Mrs. Anonymous consolidate to one piece of real estate!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 15:00:00 +0000

Moving back and forth every 6 months, it’s refreshing to have someone say,”It’s so good to see you”. Maybe they wouldn’t be so glad to see us if we stayed in one place all year ha ha.
Me again

By: Inheritor of Heaven

Inheritor of Heaven — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 02:12:00 +0000

Hey, somebody’s got to do it. (preaching and picking fights, ending with a mob lynching I mean)

I think it just shows how God uses some he places his spirit in and also it shows how we should choose who leads in various tasks in the church, namely, “choose from among you those who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom” not “who’s breathing” or “who showed up”.

By: KJKEB

KJKEB — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 00:20:00 +0000

Here is the post that started the thread that prompted my blog yesterday. I need to point out that the comment at the end was made tongue in cheek.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Acts 6:1-6

1In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
5This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

Okay, so the church chose Stephen to administer the compassionate ministries, and then he goes off and starts preaching and picking fights, ending with a mob lynching.

The net result:
Acts 8:1b
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

Somebody really should have told Stephen to stick to his assigned duties.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is a link to that whole thread if you are interested in following it: http://www.naznet.com/community/showthread.php?p=31026&mode=linear#post31026

By: Inheritor of Heaven

Inheritor of Heaven — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 10:46:00 +0000

I think your secular illustration is perfectly fine because you are using it to teach about people and what they are feeling. Yes, the bible teaches all about that as well but we do need to listen to what people are saying. I have a local band (now broken up) that I listen to on CD from time to time. Some of the songs have swearing in them to which I now cringe, but when I listen to the lyric I think about what Jesus could do or say to that person to bring healing, deliverance, and freedom to the pain they are singing about or the dysfunction they are experiencing.

Thank you also for prompting me to look at Stephen's story again to see what you may be discussing.

I know at our church we are trying to get us laypersons to be more equipped to do the ministry and get us out of "let the pastor do it all because that's what they are paid for" mode.