what's a pastor to do?

[Judy McDonald]

The pastor is frustrated because he has tried twice to launch a successful "small group" ministry at our church. The people who want to be a part are still meeting in two or three groups, but the program has not accomplished what the pastor intended...multiplication, assimilating newcomers, etc.
Frankly, my husband and I are already about as committed to "meetings" as we want to be right now. Is that unspiritual? I know if we were living under the same conditions as the Chinese Christians, an opportunity to meet with fellow believers would be more precious, but I confess I don't feel much yearning for more "fellowship."
The same thing has happened with trying to relaunch adult Sunday school classes. We have three classes...with approximately 250 attending Sunday morning worship. Can anyone shed some light on this? Note: "studies" indicate a general lack of spiritual passion.

[William Hunter]

Such a change in ministry efforts is rarely done with a majority involved. We have to start with the few who catch the vision, and as they have fresh encounters with Christ and an excitement and passion for Christ and His mission, it will catch on. And as new people come in, get them involved in such groups. Some fo the longer attending folks will get on board and be really helpful in the cause, a feew never will. If you wait for everyone to get on board, you'll never get it down.

On another note, I do not attend any of the small group mtgs. on a regular basis. I work more with the leaders. If we do not trust our people enough to release them in ministry and give the authority to do so, also holding them accountable for staying on course with our belief statement, we only burn ourselves up. Plus, it has been my experience that people, especially newer people, open up more freely if the pastor is not there. If our leaders and a couple of others there a mature Christians, they can handle most things that come up.

We have small groups that take place literally every day of the week now. There is no way I could be at them all. I trust my lay group leaders to do the job that needs to be done, and they do. Most of the pastoral care done here is done within the Biblical account in Eph. 4:11-16 where I see to the equipping of my people, they do the minsitry. As our congregation grows, there is no way for me to get the quality of pastoral care done that is being done one on one and in small groups by my laypeople. William Willamon wrote a book a few yrs. ago titled: "Worship As Pastoral Care." It an other writes since have helped me take a fresh approach to worship and working thorugh every part of the service to make sure there a places to connect with God. I do not control the music other than to give the theme for the day. I do not select the specials, but it is amazing how God always seems to get that all done and the service flows. I am still learning here for our formal training does not help us here. But some writers have been wonderfully helpful and I am able to express loving and caring pastor care in worship instead of just going through the usual motions. This takes time and prayer, to be sure, and the changes in my schedule to allow this did not come easy, but it is well worth it. Sundays are a joy. And they there are the reposts of various kinds of victories in our small groups, plus the other ministries they take on.

Start with those you have who are interested and build into them, pray for them, fellowship with them, do some vision casting with them. It does not change over night, but slowly you'll see movement forward, and eventually you'll see momentum that carries the effort and expands it.

[Kevin Rector]

The pastor is frustrated because he has tried twice to launch a successful "small group" ministry at our church. The people who want to be a part are still meeting in two or three groups, but the program has not accomplished what the pastor intended...
The same thing has happened with trying to relaunch adult Sunday school classes. We have three classes...

Well I can't say exactly what the pastor should do without being in his shoes, but I would imagine that a really good course of action for him would be to start a small group that consisted of the teachers/facilitators/leaders of the 2-3 small groups and 2-3 Sunday School teachers for the existing classes.

He should be teaching, equipping, encouraging, and discipling these leaders.

[Barb Bouldrey]

Small groups do not work everywhere. If you try small groups and they fizzle, you change your plans.

You do not have to have small groups, or any new plan to be a growing, Christ-centered church. You have to keep trying, but if something does not go as planned, at least you tried.

Every pastor on this forum and probably every layman can tell you of the programs that were started with great enthusiasm and fizzled out.

Fortunately, some new plans come along that really work...for the individual church.

Our district went to a lot of effort to kick off a big, well-organized Sunday program call R.E.A.C.H. We attended workshops on it. Then we kicked it off here and it fell flat so fast it left the leadership in shock.

We started a small group on Sunday nights for the 20's age group. It meets in the home of one of our young adults. It's purpose was to reach new young adults for the Lord and the church. What has happened after 2 years? Two college students from our church who were already faithful to Sunday mornings attend regularly with 6-8 young adults FROM OTHER CHURCHES. No new Christians. No new people coming to our Sunday a.m. worship.

Has it fizzled? Yes, for not reaching the objectives. No, because those 8 young adults are growing in the Lord. We just wish they were growing in the Lord as a part of our congregation and helping our congregation grow.

So, what is your pastor to do? If the few small groups he has are working well, let them continue. If the rest of the church wants a Bible study at the church, or a traditional service, let them do this.

A pastor may have a passion and vision, but until the congregation as a unified whole (with just a few grumblers) catches that passion and vision, nothing succeeds.

Barb

[William Hunter]

Has anyone ever seen a whole congregation buy into a new idea? I'm not sure most of have. If a minsitry has great potential for outreach and well and discipling, you start with those who see the vision and run with as I mentioned above. Others will get on or be left behind as God uses the program. If we wait for unanimous involvement, we will never do anything.

Jesus started the New Testament church but had only a few to start with. Most of the religious leaders were against Him; they were against the disciples, and history has not changed. When God moves it is extrememly rare to see a majority catch on at first. Many have to wait and see if it is going to work first, before they buy into it.

We have to start with those who see the vision and move out with God---or we stagnate and do nothing.