SMALL GROUPS

If you are new to ChristChurch you have probably started coming along some time in the last 12 months.  You may have heard people talk about Small Groups and you may have read about them on the weekly bulletin.  You might think that this is something for church members who have been coming for years.

Well you would be wrong.  Small Groups are an integral part of how ChristChurch does church.  Being a part of a Small Group is as important as coming along on a Sunday morning.

So why would anybody want to be a part of a Small Group in ChristChurch?

The best way I can answer this question is to speak from my own experience as a Small Group member and more recently as a Small Group host.

I joined ChristChurch almost 10 years ago.  Bryan and I were married in 2001 and he already belonged to the church and we decided it was the place God wanted us to be.  I came from a church where I knew everybody and everybody knew me and I was very happy.  What a shock to come to ChristChurch where I only knew one other person besides my husband.  I can also honestly say that without Small Groups that would probably still be the situation!

Reason 1 - it's a way of getting to know people in the church.

I have been in 5 different Small Groups in the last 10 years and I have found it the ideal place to get to know people.  Some people love coffee time at the end of church and they can chat to loads of people and introduce themselves to newcomers.  Others (and that includes me) struggle with this time and only speak to the one or two people they know well.  I love the fact that at Small Group I have got to know people that I had seen but had never talked to before.

Reason 2 - it is an excellent place to give and receive pastoral care.

As you get to know people, and as the group develops people start to share more of their lives - the good bits and the bad bits.  When people are going through difficult periods the group is there to pray and offer practical support.  On our journey through miscarriage, adoption assessment and new parenthood our Small Group were with us every step of the way.  In fact after telling our families our Small Group were the first people we told when we knew our children were coming.  When Bryan was in hospital in the middle of that journey we received care in ways that overwhelmed us - from the food parcels that appeared on our doorstep to the shoulders to cry on.

We have received care and we also have had opportunities to offer care and the privilege of praying with people in the dark times and the happy times.

Reason 3 - it is a place to learn and grow as a Christian.

How many times have you sat in church and wished that you could stop the speaker and ask some questions to clarify what they mean or to give some practical examples of what they are talking about?  Hopefully it's not just me!  I have spoken to a few speakers after the service but that it not always possible!  It's great to be in a Small Group with a number of Christians with different levels of knowledge and experience and to ask all the difficult questions and to explore together a practical response to the issues.  If I am really honest this is my number 1 reason for loving being in a Small Group.  In the last 10 years I have been truly blessed and challenged by those in the group and my Christian faith has deepened and strengthened.

So - at least three reasons to be a part of Small Group - details of groups and meeting times.

Speak to Martin Agnew, the Small Group deacon, or to any of the Small Group hosts to see where you might fit best.  Give it a try - and I know that God will bless you in ways that might surprise you.

Allison Crosby