5 Reasons We Need Group Relationships In Addition To Our Existing Relationships
Over the last few weeks, I've raised the question, "Do Community Group Relationships Really Make a Difference?"
As I talked about last time, the more time we spend with someone, the more of an impact they will have in our lives.
Group relationships do make a difference, but they are limited by the time we give to them.
Which raises the question, is it worth my time to attend or lead a group when I already have good relationships outside of group?
Here are a few thoughts to address that question:
1. We are called to build up the faith of others.
Community Groups are not only about us.
Sometimes group is community for you, and sometimes it is community through you.
But we don't just attend group for what we can get, we attend group for what we can give.
As Paul shares in Ephesians 4:11-16, the body of Christ is called to build each other up!
If we don't, our church will be filled with people who are spiritual infants and deceived by harmful and unbiblical ideas.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part. - Ephesians 4:14-16
2. The Church is full of people with a deficit of God-centered relationships.
You may have great relationships outside of group but there are many at Northridge who have little or no relationships with mature Christians in their life.
Who are they going to learn from?
Who is going to model for them what it looks like to follow Christ?
3. Our church can't make better disciples without you.
In order for our church to make not just more but better disciples, we need mature disciples investing in new disciples.
If we only spend time with the people we already know, there are a lot of people who will never be surrounded by the relationships they need to grow in their faith.
4. "Mature" disciples without intentional relationships with "Immature" disciples are NOT mature disciples.
To call someone mature in their faith, who is not investing in the immature, is an oxymoron.
It is similar to what the Apostle John said...that you can't claim to love God if you don't love your brother.
20 If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well. - 1 John 4:20-21
5. Mature disciples need immature disciples to grow spiritually.
No matter how far down the road we are in our faith, God uses people from all maturity levels in their faith to teach and challenge us in our own faith.
Paul reminds us that we need every member of the body of Christ:
18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body...24 But God has put the body together, ... 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. - 1 Corinthians 12:18-20, 24-25
God often uses the questions and life circumstances of others, even the most immature, to help us better see and understand His grace.
Final Thoughts
So, when we ask the question, "Why should I invest my time attending or leading a group when I've already got good relationships outside of group?,"
Remember that our own spiritual growth is limited, and our churches ability to make disciples is limited, when we only focus on existing relationships and neglect group relationships.
God grows his church when everyone plays their part in the body of Christ together.
God grows our faith as we engage the scriptures together in community with people in every stage of their spiritual journey.
What do you think? Do Community Group relationships make a difference? Are they worth our time and investment? What would you say?
I'd love to hear your thoughts. Email me HERE.
How Can We Help?
How are you doing? Is there anything we can help with? Contact your coach.
If you haven't had a chance to meet up with your coach about how your group is doing and what's next for your group, we'd love to connect.
Keep up-to-date with what happening in our group ministry on the Group Leader's Website, Facebook Group, and Podcast.
Additional Resources
Only Half of My Group Showed Up Last Night
How Do You Get People To Show Up To Group?
9 Ideas To Change Up Group This Week
8 Simple Steps To Raise Up New Leaders
Communion In-Group (Instructions)
Do Community Group Relationships Make A Difference?
Why Group Relationships Are Ineffective
How COVID Has Affected Our Friendships—and What to Do About It
