Three Characteristics of a Vibrant Life Group: Part 3

We’ve now covered two of the most important characteristics of a healthy Life Group. A vibrant group is CONNECTING with one another and they are constantly CHANGING. The third key characteristic of a group is that they are developing a missional pattern.

CULTIVATING

CULTIVATING

The other two characteristics are very exclusive. They focus on the group and the individuals within the group. This third attribute is inclusive and focused on others. You might call it service, outreach, mission, or evangelism. At CFCC we like to use agricultural metaphors, so we like to use the term “cultivating.” As you cultivate hearts for other people you are turning up the soil in your life (and hopefully in others).

Think about it in terms of your own family. A healthy family moves outward. My family doesn’t always eat at the dinner table, but we do our best to do it a few times per week. My wife and I have two children so we sit at a small kitchen table to eat our meals. At that table, we pray before our meal, and then while we eat we talk about our day. Sometimes discuss the things that we’re struggling with.

At 10 and 13, it won’t be long until both of my kids graduate and go to college. I love family time around the table. They’ll then begin their careers, get married and start their own families. At that point, our kitchen table will need just two chairs. But that is exactly how it should be. If in 25 years, my kids were playing with Legos and snuggling up on the couch for movie night that would be weird.

Right now it's cute; 25 years from now, it's gross.

A small group that is only focused on keeping the band together will actually ruin the very thing they are attempting to protect. If you want to have a healthy, vibrant group, you need to have a mission beyond caring for the people in your family room.

Simple things you can do to develop the cultivating pattern in your group:

• Set the expectation from the beginning that you want your group to be missional.

• Identify a potential leader in your group that you can begin mentoring to lead their own group one day.

• Study evangelism and spiritual gifts in the group with the purpose of practicing what you learn.

• Have each person identify at least two non-Christians they are praying for an opportunity to witness to them (and ask for a progress report every week).

• Adopt a one of CFCC’s Global Mission Partners. Learn about what they do, pray for their country (or countries) and consider supporting them financially.

• Serve locally at least quarterly as a group or encourage every group member to serve regularly at CFCC.

Three Characteristics of a Vibrant Life Group: Part 2

In my last post, I discussed the importance of CONNECTING as an important characteristic in a vital Life Group. As crucial is it is, it’s not enough for Life Groups to just connect people with one another. There is another important quality that our groups must possess.

The second key characteristic of a healthy group is change.

My dad used to say, “Most people assume they will only have to change once.” The truth is, that change is a constant process—and it should be welcomed in the life of a disciple of Jesus. Some call it edification or sanctification or transformation, but at the end of the day, it's change. A vibrant group helps you change into the person God intends you to be.

Characteristic #2: CHANGING

Research shows that people "who attend a group at least four times a month show a significantly higher score in every area of discipleship compared with those who do not attend." In fact, "people in groups are more likely to share their faith, repent of sins regularly, give sacrificially, serve faithfully, and read their Bibles." (Transformational Groups, Stetzer and Geiger). That means that while our groups might not be accomplishing all we had hoped, they are still accomplishing a lot. We can celebrate the fact that God is using groups to create people who look more and more like Christ.

We can benefit from seeing how Jesus led his small group of disciples. So often we focus on all the amazing things they did together—things we feel we could never accomplish with our groups. Stetzer and Geiger explain:

Transformation is a communal experience, not an individual exercise. Jesus, God on earth, understood this fact. His model of disciple making must be ours. Jesus chose twelve, a small group. The synergy that occurred in that group of twelve aided greatly in the process of making these men mature disciples. The conversations they engaged in, the time they served Rabbi Jesus together, the processing of Jesus' teachings around a campfire, even the missteps these men shared were all in Jesus' plan for making them into the mature disciples He needed them to be. Doing life together is an unquestionable essential in the disciple-making process.

Hearing truth is one part of change, but connecting in biblical community reinforces and can encourage change. But be careful that your group is not encouraging the wrong things! Rather than seeing the group as a place to care for others, serve, and learn together, most group members see the group's primary function as serving their needs. Complacency is the enemy of change!

Complacency is the enemy of change!

A consumeristic mindset is dangerous in group life. If we’re not diligent, we as leaders may be the reason group members approach groups this way. The way we communicate about the purpose of groups directly impacts what group members expect when they join. CFCC Life Group members should expect change!

Simple things you can do to develop the changing pattern in your group:

• Study the Bible for application. Answer the question, "So what do we do with this?"

• Invite each member to share areas they are trying to improve and offer accountability.

• Create a judgment-free zone where members can share what's going on without feeling judged by the group (or feeling like a special project).

• Keep the focus on Jesus Christ who gives us the strength to change.