A journey to the center of the earth: what would possess someone to try it? What made them think it was possible? Or that they would survive? And would any of them have dared to try it alone?

Beginning in January, 2011, our congregation is going on a journey as well. It’s not a science fiction journey to the center of the earth; it’s not an extreme vacation journey to a far-off land; it’s a journey to the heart of God.

The idea for the Ninety-Day Adventure in Prayer originally came from Vital Churches Institute. We’re modifying it to fit our congregation, but the basics are the same:

The practice of daily prayer. When we practice a new habit ninety days in a row it more easily becomes part of our ongoing lifestyle. To help in this, Rob Braun is working on a daily devotional based on the Heidelberg Catechism that not only teaches us what prayer is but encourages us to practice prayer. Each day, you will have questions that will help you to reflect on Scripture, respond to what God is saying to you and to pray.

The practice of praying in very small groups. We would also like to encourage you to be involved with 2 others in a prayer trio. The trios meet weekly for twelve weeks, in person if possible, to share what you have been learning in your personal times of prayer and to pray with and for each other.

During this 90 days, we anticipate that those who get involved will establish a habit of prayer AND form new and lasting friendships.

I’d like to invite you to join together on Sunday night, January 2 at 6:00 pm to hear more about this 90-day adventure in prayer…and to take the first step on the journey by committing yourself to daily prayer on your own and weekly prayer in a very small group.

Brainstorming, vision-casting and creativity filled the family room at  Betsy and Richard Wergin’s house at the Small Group Ministry gathering (also known as -SEGUE-) last Tuesday.  As relationship-building experiences from past small groups were recalled and shared, we were inspired by the way God has used small groups of ALL types to be a source of new friendships, encouragement, acts of service and growth in Christ. As the small group stories were told that night, I couldn’t help but compare those many and varied groups that were being described to Jelly Belly jelly beans; partly because jelly beans are well, small, but also because there is such a variety of Jelly Belly flavors and colors, just as there is a rich assortment of small groups. It also occurred to me that folks probably hesitate a bit before they try one of the many flavors of Jelly Belly jelly beans, but after they eat one, they are hooked. Might this also be true of people who have been involved in small groups? It certainly can appear daunting at first to join up with a group of people you don’t know well, and begin the process of sharing time with them. But, if last week’s gathering is any indication, once you have joined with others in a small group setting, you’re hooked!
One of the purposes of -SEGUE- gatherings is help to showcase the amazing variety of small groups. Throughout the summer, those interested in leading small groups will be meeting every other Tuesday as we decide which ‘flavor and color’ small group God would have us lead in the fall. We’d love to have any one interested in leading a small group join us at any time during the summer! Come and learn with us that the blessings that spring from leading and being a part of a small group can be as sweet as candy.
The next date for the Small Group Ministry gathering is Tuesday, May 11, from 5:30 – 7:00pm at John and Teri Hyrkas’ house. Phone 763-856-2115; thyrkas@gmail.com. A light dinner will be served. We’d be delighted if you would bring a small group book, program or other resource to share with us!

At the end of our meeting last night, we passed around a sheet of paper for people to put their names on if they would be interested in having continued involvement through the summer months with designing, planning and implementing the new small group ministry at Bethel. Would you believe that 21 people put their names on the list! And that doesn’t include any who might not have been there last night who might be interested in this opportunity. WOW!!!

Put it this way: when I saw the list and when I later described to someone else what I saw, I was at the point of tears. Humbled by how God is working, in awe of His people’s willingness to minister to others and smitten by a love for this congregation. WOW!!!

Outreach

• we can use one or two individuals or couples to start small groups in areas where they haven’t existed before. The example given was of starting a small group in an apartment building;
• a small group could work together to plan a larger event that would involve the entire congregation in reaching out;
• inviting friends or acquaintances to join our small group, we have a non-threatening way of inviting them into the life of our congregation;
• we can take our small groups into the community in order to model what fellowship can look like in action;
• we could invite unchurched people to join our small group for a ministry project. (OK, so I added this one on my own. My idea is that if a small group were involved in a day of working with Habitat for Humanity, they could invite neighbors who have a passion for helping needy people to join them.)

Fellowship

• inviting guests at worship to join our small group is a natural way to enfold them into the life of the congregation;
• small groups could be a great way to help less actively involved members to pursue spiritual growth and ministry opportunities;
• a variety of small group types provide my different points of entry for people to become  part of Bethel
• small groups could be formed around common interests that people share, say gardening, reading, parenting, prayer, etc.
• friendships can be developed and deepened in the context of small groups;
• small group members can provide a lot of the pastoral care we need; and
• pastoral care items could be discovered in small group meetings and (with permission) be passed on to staff, Elders and the Sheltering Tree in order that our church can be meaningfully involved in the lives of our members.

Discipleship/Education

• by providing consistent education over an extended length of time, small groups can be involved in leading people to apply the lessons that are being learned;
• because of the length of time and the closeness of the group, accountability to each other can be gradually added in to the mix of the group;
• they provide a safe environment in which we can be honest about our struggles and where we’re at in our spiritual walks;
• leaders will have a key role in facilitating the atmosphere of discipleship and growth;
• accountability occur within the context of relationship – a much better environment for personal growth;
• we encourage “discovery” – both the discovery of new ideas (education) and the discovery of a new way of life (discipleship); and
• they teach us to be  faithful to each other, our commitments and our God.

Ministry

• small groups are a natural way for us to discover, develop and encourage the use of the spiritual gifts that God has entrusted us with;
• small groups can be involved in a variety of short-term ministry projects, such as:
  • designing and building a parade float;
  • planning and running a Progressive Supper;
  • provide follow-up to guests at worship or at large outreach events (SpiritQuest, BAC, etc.).

If you haven’t caught it yet, small group ministry has the potential to allow us to do more ministry more effectively with more people. Wow!

Ah, yes, you ask, but how can that possibly happen here? You’d never believe what happened next!

As we discussed how to pilot this program, Teri Hyrkas offered her home (and her husband!) to pull together a small group of small group leaders who would meet during the summer to plan, implement and promote the ministry. Further, the Wergins offered their home as a meeting place. And what will these amazing volunteers do?

• PRAY;
• find curriculum ideas for groups to use;
• decide how best to train leaders for new small groups;
• figure out how to enhance the current small group ministry;
• decide how to expand the number of small groups we have and the number of people involved; and
• discern how to help all of our ministry groups (Youth Ministry Team, Elders, Council, Deacons, BAC leadership team,…) begin to incorporate small group characteristics (prayer, learning, mutual encouragement) into their meetings.

Overall, I’d have to say that it was a very exciting meeting!

And tonight, we began to dream of something new – something that could very well become a central part of how we do ministry. What is this something new? Something that really isn’t new to us at all. We currently call them, “Small Groups.”

Why isn’t this new? Because we’ve been doing small groups since we began this ministry. Coffee Break ministry is the most visible example. Since it’s inception, Bethel has been operating a very successful small group ministry for women. Through this ministry, we have done reached into the community, taught the Bible, nurtured faith in women and children and ministered to women in various stages of life.

Why do I call it new? Because we’d like to see small groups begin to take on a new form and a more central place in the ministry of our church.

Tonight, a group of dreamers who are passionate about small groups met together over a light meal to discuss the potential that small groups have for ministry. What follows is a brief summary of what we learned.

In talking about what we had experienced in small groups that showed us the power that they have to minister to us and through us to others, we mentioned:

• they allow us to support each other in times of need;
• they allow us to share in struggles that we experience together;
• they allow our failures to become items that bind us together;
• they allow us to watch more closely as God works His miracles of healing and growth in the lives of group members;
• they make it easier for us to invite others into a life of following Jesus Christ;
• they allow us to develop relationships that extend beyond the group; and
• they provide continuity of care for members.

We then identified many characteristics of disciples at Bethel Church, including that they are:

• people with servant hearts;
• committed to fellowship;
• followers of Christ;
• leaders of others;
• passionate;
• self-motivated;
• have a heart for others;
• loving;
• students of the Bible;
• unique;
• Spirit-led;
• humble;
• prayerful;
• sacrificial givers; and
• live the fruit of the Spirit.

In summary, we said that disciples of Jesus Christ at Bethel Church are people who are BECOMING LIKE CHRIST. While that seems like a very simplistic statement, when you consider the statements above about what that means, this “simple statement” becomes quite a mouthful!

What is necessary to create successful small groups?

• well-trained and gifted leaders are the biggest key to a group’s success;
• extended time together (either that the group stays together for an extended time or that the leader is committed to the group for an extended time);
• multiple, clear entry points for people to enter small groups;
• each group must have a mission, or way that they together serve those outside the group;
• a clear focus on building relations that center around trust and growth;
• provide accountability to faithfulness and growth among members;
• fit within a clear congregation-wide process for “growing” Christians to maturity;
• focused on prayer; and
• focused on Scripture.

Wow! What a great start! Can you imagine having a ministry functioning well at Bethel that is used by God to accomplish the powerful life change that we all need? That is able to facilitate the growth of disciples like we described above? We can too! And we’re going to start imagining that very thing on Tuesday betwen 5:30 – 7:30 pm as we gather for a dinner of salads and discussion on some of the more practical aspects of putting together a high-quality small group ministry at Bethel Church. Keep praying!