(My farewell speech to God's Clay 1 Small Group on
14 July 2017)
Introduction
Some
of you here will know by now that today will be my last day with this God's
Clay 1 small group. After much prayer & counsel with some leaders, I
believe God has led me to come to this decision that the season has come for me
to officially pass on the baton to the new leadership of God's Clay 1 small
group. Please give your full support to Peiqi (Paige) & Jabez (who has
willingly agreed to step up & replace me as the new ASGL), together with
their core team who will lead you all to the new vision and plans that God has
for this small group.
This
leadership transition has been on my mind since we started as a new God's Clay
1 (GC1) small group when we multiplied into 3 small groups during the ACTS2
Church campaign back in Feb 2015. I knew then that my season will only be a
short time, as my role was to assist peiqi in the transition until I can find a
new leadership team and a successor. Today 2 years on, God has been leading
Claire & I to find a new small group which we are still praying about, either
a new group that we can be a part of or even lead together since we got
married.
Another
reason, why I felt I needed be leave this small group, is personally believe
that the new GC 1 leadership need to have the space to lead freely without the
predecessor leader around. It is not an easy decision for me as this small
group has been a huge part of my life first being part of the transition to
this new group and also being part of the original group that was formed 15
years ago in 2002 just before the Youth Ministry (YM) started. I believe God
has new plans for this small group in GC 1 moving ahead, with a totally new group
of people coming together to fulfil God’s kingdom purposes in the new season
ahead.
But
before I hand over to the new leadership, I felt led to share some of my
burdens on what I see a small group should be one last time. Some of you here know
by now that I have this deep conviction that a small group or I prefer the term
"cell group" should always be Kingdom-minded, which embraces a
vibrant discipleship culture where members in the group will live out being
that witnessing community in and outside the church impacting the world for
Christ.
Few years ago in TTC, I wrote this paper, “Building a Vibrant Kingdom Minded Cell Group“ which I have rewritten in the context for this last sharing with you all tonight.
Few years ago in TTC, I wrote this paper, “Building a Vibrant Kingdom Minded Cell Group“ which I have rewritten in the context for this last sharing with you all tonight.
1) Catching God’s Kingdom vision for
the Small Group
The
first step every small group should go back to is going back to the core of
God’s vision and mission for this world and that is knowing our place in light
of God’s Kingdom plans. God is constantly calling us into a redemptive
relationship with the divine community and to each other. We need to see the
broader picture beyond the four walls of the church that this kingdom vision is
not just for the concerns of the “souls” of people, but how we are bodily
present in creation.[1]
If we follow Jesus’ model, he began a discipleship group within the context of
their culture and society where they were disciples following and obeying his
leading to be like-Christ.[2]
This group was an enactment of the divine community where Jesus brought the
realm of God into the lives of this people to one another.[3]
The purpose of such a group was also to prepare leaders, where Jesus modeled the art of influence, taking initiative to lead and to be a living example for them to follow.[4] Jesus led this group so that they could be an example to the church that would change the world for Christ.[5] After Jesus ascension, he sent his Holy Spirit to empower and prepare these disciples to lead the early church, where it began to grow and many were added to the church.[6] Since than the church have grown in numbers and multiplied throughout the world.
However, when a church grows
bigger, there will be less space for everyone to experience
such “openness, acceptance, earth, and personal growth” which can
only be experienced in a smaller community.[7] This is where we go back to the
concept of how a small group should be like, it is like a mini church; which
allows one to grow in spiritual maturity and fully experience what church life
is intended to be. I say "church" here not as a building but as a
united body of Christ coming together.[8]
In a way it is like experiencing the vibrant life in the fellowship of
believers in Acts 2, where members met together in homes, to break bread,
worship God, study His Word, share their possession & give to the needy.[9]
Scott Boren describes this with a
missional aspect, he shared, "Instead of doing groups for the sake
of experience community, groups experience community for the sake of
participating in God's redemption of creation."[10]
2) Knowing the Context and the Curriculum of the Small Group
2) Knowing the Context and the Curriculum of the Small Group
I would like to also establish
that a group will consists of people of varied walks of life,
personalities, social status, different level of spiritual maturity and perhaps God would put some in our midst that will really "sharpen" and test our patience. We cannot have the mindset that we can always be this "holy huddle" who are just of the same spiritual maturity or social status that are comfortable with one another and would only focus inwardly at our own needs every time we meet. That is one of the biggest and likely danger a small group can fall into, and we need to have an education that brings us to see the wider context and content in our curriculum that will bring the small group to focus beyond the four-walls of the church in the context of mission and service.[11]
personalities, social status, different level of spiritual maturity and perhaps God would put some in our midst that will really "sharpen" and test our patience. We cannot have the mindset that we can always be this "holy huddle" who are just of the same spiritual maturity or social status that are comfortable with one another and would only focus inwardly at our own needs every time we meet. That is one of the biggest and likely danger a small group can fall into, and we need to have an education that brings us to see the wider context and content in our curriculum that will bring the small group to focus beyond the four-walls of the church in the context of mission and service.[11]
Such an education would incorporate Diakonia
as the central focus in its curriculum as that will bring forth the group to be
Kingdom-minded.[12] With
such a context being in place, by having the starting point of learning the
“compassion” of Jesus, it will transform us to be incarnational who desires to
serve and proactively welcome and reach out to the least, the last and the lost
into the faith community of the group.[13]
Such a “Kingdom-minded” focus will bring forth a new vibrant cell life that
will inevitably grow and multiply. This is why I prefer the term "cell
groups" as it is meant to have life and to multiply to impact others in
this world.
1) Firstly,
the curriculum has to be experiential, as it requires the active engagement of
members within the small group. We need to experience such fellowship, which
demonstrates the “Spirit of grace in action” within the group.[14] James Dunn describes this
shared experience as the “Koinonia of the Spirit”.[15]
2) Secondly,
the curriculum must be reflective as it encourages the members to not only
rationalize with their heads, but also use their hearts and emotions.[16] When we reflect on why we
serve within the group, we realize we serve because Christ came not to be
served, but to serve, and to set an example for us.[17]
3) Thirdly,
the curriculum must be relational, where we acknowledge that every learning
endeavor entails a communal learning from one another in our relations with one
another.[18]
When small group members mutually relate to one another it brings about this
attitude to serve and to encourage one another, this is where it also creates
such mutual-discipleship to take place as well.
4) Fourthly,
the curriculum must be inclusive where we need to consciously consider the
involvement of everyone.[19] This aims for the small
group to model out what the church who reflects the world of the all-inclusive
nature of God's love as we reflect the truth of Jesus' prayer that we are
indeed all one in God.[20]
5) Fifthly,
the curriculum must be integrative where it has to be comprehended as one
unified whole.[21]
In reference to Icenogle’s concept of “One-Anothering in Christ”, we learnt how the
house church modeled the life Jesus had with his disciples.[22]
Here we can learn how he integrate this “one anothering character of mutual
ministry” into all aspects of life, which creates an environment for a
discipleship culture within the small group.[23]
3) Practical steps forward as a Small group
Adopting the Wesley SGM strategy of “Gathering, Nurturing and Flowering” it gives a good depiction of a small group life in a church. This model works as a logical “road-map” of progression in a linear method, however, we need to be aware that this model is not as linear as it appears, in fact I believe a healthy small group should have the goal of having all three environments right at the beginning instead of just a natural progression of point A to B.
The core team needs to develop a shared vision of small group with the biblical vision and mission purpose. And this shared Kingdom vision should not just stay within the core group but translated and amplified to the entire small group. Having established this I will be sharing some practical steps that we can take forward in this model of “Gathering, Nurturing and Flowering”.
Gathering
Beginning with the first step of the
“Gathering” process. I believe when the group gathers together, the small group
leader and core team needs to create an environment in the group with an “open
chair” concept, if possible right at the beginning of the first gathering of
the small group.[24] This
“open-chair” vision is to invoke a clear picture to the group of the mission of
the small.[25] The
group need to have the consensus to authentically engage and accommodate the
seekers.[26]
Nurturing
The “Nurturing” environment establishes
such a discipleship culture, where I believe a small group should start
discovering, growing and learning to exercise the different Spiritual gifts within the group. It
should be an environment that has such a culture of honor for one another that
allows one to serve one another mutually. An environment where we can
experience the manifest presence of God and just allow the Holy Spirit to fill
us & empower us to exercise our gifting’s for the common good.
Flowering
The “Flowering” environment is where the
small group can be that "Witnessing
Community", that can live out the mission of "Missio
Dei", God's heart for the people. We are to be intentional about being
"missional". We are not only to feed ourselves as part of a Christian
life as a community but to reach out to others as well. A group that is generally
touched by God will naturally touch others too.
As the small group expands and experiences the fruit of their efforts, the group needs to be prepared for small group multiplication for it to continually be effective in keeping such a vibrant Kingdom-minded group and for relationships to be maintained within the small group.[27] When such a stage is reached, every member in the group will be discipled, people are coming to Christ, and every individual can live out to be that Kingdom-minded believer that are witnesses for Christ in and outside the church.[28]
Concluding Remarks
Imagine this picture of such a vibrant small group, if every single member in the group is mutually, loving, discipling, caring, serving, giving, encouraging and ministering to one another. A group that will integrate the gospel in all aspect of their lives, a group that will look out for the least, the last and the lost who bless others along the way. I believe such a group will embrace and fulfill the church small group ministry vision of "Growing groups that bears lasting fruit".[29] This is my ideal picture of what a vibrant Kingdom-minded small group look like, and I believe is a vision that God’s Clay 1 small group can become as you all participate together as that witnessing community in God’s kingdom plans for this world!
Imagine this picture of such a vibrant small group, if every single member in the group is mutually, loving, discipling, caring, serving, giving, encouraging and ministering to one another. A group that will integrate the gospel in all aspect of their lives, a group that will look out for the least, the last and the lost who bless others along the way. I believe such a group will embrace and fulfill the church small group ministry vision of "Growing groups that bears lasting fruit".[29] This is my ideal picture of what a vibrant Kingdom-minded small group look like, and I believe is a vision that God’s Clay 1 small group can become as you all participate together as that witnessing community in God’s kingdom plans for this world!
Bibliography
Boren, M. Scott. Missional small groups: becoming a community that makes a difference
in the world. Grand
Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 2010.
Boren, M.
Scott, and Don Tillman. Making Cell Groups Work: Navigating the Transformation to
a Cell-Based Church. Houston, Tex: Cell Group Resources, 2003.
Donahue,
Bill. The
Seven Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry A Troubleshooting Guide for Church
Leaders. Zondervan, 2005.
Dunn, James.
Jesus and the Spirit. Philadelphia:
Westminster Press, 1975.
Foster, Charles R. Educating
Congregations: The Future of Christian Education. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press 1994.
Harris, Maria. Fashion
me a people: curriculum in the church. Louisville, Ky.: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1989.
Icenogle, Gareth Weldon. Biblical foundations for small group ministry: an
integrative approach.
Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1994.
Kirkpatrick,
Thomas G. Small Groups in the Church: A Handbook for Creating Community.
[Bethesda, MD]: Alban Institute, 1995.
L.Maddox, Randy and Theodore Runyon. Rethinking Wesley's
theology for contemporary Methodism. Nashville, Tenn.: Kingswood Books, 1998.
Neighbour,
Ralph Webster. The shepherd's guidebook: A new approach to the cell group
church. Houston, Tex.: Touch Outreach Ministries, 1990.
Reid,
Clyde H. Groups Alive--Church Alive; The Effective Use of Small
Groups in the Local Church. New York: Harper & Row, 1969.
Steele, Les L.. On the way: a practical theology of
Christian formation.
Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1990.
Susanne Johnson, Christian Spiritual
Formation in the Church and Classroom. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1989.
Tye, Karen B. Basics of Christian education. St. Louis, Mo.: Chalice Press,
2000.
Tye, Karen B. Christian
Education in the Small Membership Church. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2008.
Wesley SGM. Wesley
Small Group Ministry Handbook 2010. Singapore: Wesley Methodist Church, 2010.
[1] T.S. Eliot, “Chorus from ‘The
Rock’,” Complete Poems and Plays (New
York: Harcourt and Brace, 1952), 24.
[2] Ibid., 117-120.
[3] Ibid., 117-121.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid., 199.
[6]
Acts 2:41(ESV) “So those who received his word were baptized, and there
were added that day about three thousand souls.”
[7] Thomas G,Kirkpatrick, Small Groups in the Church: A Handbook
for Creating Community (Bethesda, MD: Alban Institute,1995), 17.
[8] Gareth Weldon Icenogle, Biblical foundations for small group
ministry: an integrative approach, 309.
[9]
Acts 2:42-43
(ESV) “And they devoted themselves to the
apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the
prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being
done through the apostles.”
[10] Scott M.Boren, Missional small groups: becoming a community that makes a difference in
the world (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 2010),
23
[13] Ibid.
[14] Gareth Weldon Icenogle, Biblical foundations for small group
ministry: an integrative approach, 309.
[15] James Dunn, Jesus and the Spirit (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1975),
259-60.
[16] Karen Tye, Basics of Christian
Education, 95.
[17] Diakonia Group Paper, (Singapore: TTC, 2014), 2.
[18] Ibid.
[19] Karen Tye, Christian Education
in the Small Membership Church (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2008), 141.
[20] Diakonia Group Paper, 3.
[21] Karen Tye, Christian Education
in the Small Membership Church,143.
[22] Gareth Weldon Icenogle, Biblical foundations for small group
ministry: an integrative approach, 291-292.
[23] Ibid.
[24] Bill
Donahue, The Seven Deadly Sins of Small
Group Ministry A Troubleshooting Guide for Church Leaders (Zondervan,
2005), 129-139.
[25] Ibid., 143.
[26] Ibid.
[27] M.
Scott, Boren, and Don Tillman. Making
Cell Groups Work: Navigating the Transformation to a Cell-Based Church,
378-380.
[28] Ibid.
[29] Wesley SGM. Wesley Small Group Ministry Handbook 2010, (Singapore: Wesley
Methodist Church, 2010).
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