So if you don't want to talk about big, how about we talk about small?
I've just been reading about a movement that's apparently sweeping the nation: very small congregations. They go by different names e.g. house church, simple church, organic church, even micro-church.
Many people, it seems, find greater connection, richer relationships, truer spiritual experience with a small group than they do in larger congregations. Being intentional to create these tiny little communities has been touted as a way to grow a congregation. Most successful very large congregations do, in fact, comprise many, many micro-church units within the greater community.
Sometimes it happens by accident. The adult class or the choir or the young adult dinner group may become the small group that feels most like family. They're the place we feel most connected to, while still being part of the whole congregation. They're a way to be both big and small at the same time.
I've been looking at this book about small group spirituality and thinking we need to get on board with this small idea. It sounds to me like it has all kinds of potential to help us grow--as spiritual beings and as a faith community. There are many other resources to help us find a way with small groups, both to find nurture and to invite others to.
I'd suggest we find ways to tap in to the power of small with intent, rather than by accident. What are your thoughts?
Posted by Marion
Thursday, July 22, 2010
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I have just returned from the Healing and Freeing the Spirit reunion and noticed your blog about "small". It is interesting because the Healing and Freeing the Spirit reunion is small. Yet, there was talk about how do we get more people to come and experience this particular reunion. Perhaps we should or need to keep it small or at least smaller than the other reunions, so the closeness,intimacy and trust the people are experiencing can grow. David Snell
ReplyDeletehi Dave!
ReplyDeleteif it grows bigger there will still be "small" within the reunion.
loaves and fishes is a fairly "big" reunion but we still had a wide variety of "small" going on as well... the young adults had their small group and when another young adult came on site they were welcomed in and loved. the kids, of course, had their small groups and it seemed that others were still welcome. we "just over mid aged" adults had our group and the older adults had theirs! the musicians could be seen huddling at times and you could see small groups of folks from congregations in huddles.
we may have been fairly big but we had plenty of "small"!
john