“Small group members are not members after all; they are brothers and sisters.” — Rick Howerton
The term “members” subconsciously instills the notion that those who are in the group have joined a club or association. When group members have this idea in mind they intuitively sense that because they’ve joined a club they can give up membership in the club when they so choose. Because the concept of membership is rampant in group life, group members often leave a group for various reasons:
1. They don’t make friends as fast as they thought they would.
2. They have a conflict with someone else in the group.
3. They are the only young people in the group or the only older people in the group.
4. Their children don’t like the other kids in the group.
But we are the body of Christ; we are a family. When group members embrace that they are in a family they are much more apt to stay long-term in a group, be honored to have people of all ages in the group with them, and realize the primary goal of the group isn’t to make friends. But rather it’s for the purpose of growing spiritually, meeting one another’s needs, and honoring Christ through being on mission together.
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