I’ve been thinking a lot about the role of the Church. The Church is God’s idea, not ours. It is his solution to many of the world’s problems, since the Church is called to represent and continue Jesus’ ministry, the final and ultimate solution to all problems.
In other words, groups of Jesus followers are one of the ways that God ministers grace to this broken world. And one of the ways that grace is ministered is when small groups of people gather together for the purpose of forming deeper relationships, reading Scripture, praying, and sharing their lives with each other. Small groups are a context wherein the Holy Spirit is able to flow through and empower people to bring peace, comfort, encouragement, and strength to others. It’s a powerful context to be in!
Dr. Gareth Icenogle provides another biblical foundation for small groups when he writes,
“From the beginning the human community has struggled with maintaining its integrity of community with God. As the human community continually chooses to develop itself outside of intimate community with God, its relationships and individuals break and die. Except for the continuing intervention of the beckoning and gracious community of God, human community would be self-possessed, broken and lost permanently. The microcosm small group of divine-human community continues in a state of brokenness. But there is hope. From the beginning of the fragmentation of divine-human community, God has worked to restore and complete this to be a community of intimacy, mutual knowing and mutual working.” (Biblical Foundations for Small Group Ministry: An Integrative Approach)
Yes! Fragmented humanity is put back together, restored, and completed in the community of others! Beautiful…
Luke is a pastor-theologian living in northern California, serving as a co-lead pastor with his life, Dawn, at the Red Bluff Vineyard. Father of five amazing kids, when Luke isn’t hanging with his family, reading or writing theology, he moonlights as a fly fishing guide for Confluence Outfitters. He blogs regularly at LukeGeraty.com and regularly contributes to his YouTube channel.
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