I am praying deeply and sincerely for all our groups to finish on a high note; for our small group leaders to finish strong!  

Two healthy ways to do that are to “celebrate your past” and “plan your future.”    

I.    Celebrate Your Past

Spend time in one of your last meetings reflecting on the God-glorifying victories and growth from your experiences together this year.  Have a couple of your own, or someone else’s with a compelling story, planned to “prime the pump.”

You might read one of these paragraphs to get started:

A.        The Bible is filled with so many exhortations to ‘remember’ what God has done in the past, whether through the device of ‘memorial stones,’ annual festivals, tassels, phylacteries, or the discipline of hiding His Word in our hearts. God further demonstrated this in the two memorials that will last in His church forever: communion and baptism. 

B.       “We are so immersed in the pressured flow of life that we move from one crisis to the next activity to the following event, seldom if ever pausing to reflect on what those experiences are teaching us.  Unless we stop and reflect on the formative experiences and relationships of our life, we will miss the transformative purpose that God intended for them.” –Andrew Seidel

II.    Plan Your Future

Also spend time in one of your final meetings planning your group’s future. This will set everyone at ease, and give you the satisfaction of knowing everyone’s expectations are set.

A.        Discuss the future of this group: Remain intact? Transfer leadership? Split into two partnering groups so more people can join?

B.        Plan your summer schedule: rest; service/outreach projects; BBQ’s!! – get them on the calendar!

C.        Make a serious challenge to your group members to step up and become leaders of their own groups this fall. Challenge them, and promise to work with them to do it. One of LCCC’s greatest needs is more small group leaders, thus this can be one of the greatest services you could give to your church. Make sure you let me know who they are, too, and I will thank you!

Blessings on your homes,

Pastor Reg