Comments on: Small groups, tribalism, and meeting your neighbors http://www.journeyguy.com/small-groups-tribalism-and-meeting-your-neighbors/ Life, adventure and faith in southwest Virginia Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:14:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: dean http://www.journeyguy.com/small-groups-tribalism-and-meeting-your-neighbors/comment-page-1/#comment-4645 dean Thu, 02 Aug 2007 17:10:39 +0000 http://www.journeyguy.com/archives/1053#comment-4645 lou... that is a very real concern, and one that i believe needs to be addressed by the constant splitting and forming of new small groups as the church grows. i've been in waaay too many churches that refused to split sunday school classes as they've grown in numbers to the point of the class becoming larger than some entire church bodies that i've known. very few newcomers feel comfortable in such a gigantic "small" group setting, and its been a proven fact that small groups (or classes) grow only when they split and downsize. thats also why i believe it is far more practical and successful for a church to grow through introduction of new folks through the small group rather than trying to attract folks through the larger worship service. lou…

that is a very real concern, and one that i believe needs to be addressed by the constant splitting and forming of new small groups as the church grows. i’ve been in waaay too many churches that refused to split sunday school classes as they’ve grown in numbers to the point of the class becoming larger than some entire church bodies that i’ve known. very few newcomers feel comfortable in such a gigantic “small” group setting, and its been a proven fact that small groups (or classes) grow only when they split and downsize.

thats also why i believe it is far more practical and successful for a church to grow through introduction of new folks through the small group rather than trying to attract folks through the larger worship service.

]]> By: Lou Arnold http://www.journeyguy.com/small-groups-tribalism-and-meeting-your-neighbors/comment-page-1/#comment-4544 Lou Arnold Wed, 01 Aug 2007 15:53:53 +0000 http://www.journeyguy.com/archives/1053#comment-4544 I agree with this. So often new Christians or those seeking to find answers feel secluded when it comes to finding a church. We have all gotten the stares when you walk in a church and you feel like they are wondering why you are here. It has taken us years to find a church that we felt welcome. One where members know that you are visitor without you putting on the visitor sticker (by the way I refused to do) or sign the book saying you are a visitor (don't do that either). I just want people to notice that I am a visitor without just coming out and saying it. Journey was our first experience where we felt actually welcome. How do we keep Journey this way as the years go by? Our church could end up the same way. It is very hard to let someone new into a group that you have been with for years. I agree with this. So often new Christians or those seeking to find answers feel secluded when it comes to finding a church. We have all gotten the stares when you walk in a church and you feel like they are wondering why you are here. It has taken us years to find a church that we felt welcome. One where members know that you are visitor without you putting on the visitor sticker (by the way I refused to do) or sign the book saying you are a visitor (don’t do that either). I just want people to notice that I am a visitor without just coming out and saying it.

Journey was our first experience where we felt actually welcome. How do we keep Journey this way as the years go by? Our church could end up the same way. It is very hard to let someone new into a group that you have been with for years.

]]> By: kristy http://www.journeyguy.com/small-groups-tribalism-and-meeting-your-neighbors/comment-page-1/#comment-4480 kristy Tue, 31 Jul 2007 21:47:02 +0000 http://www.journeyguy.com/archives/1053#comment-4480 wow. you read my mind. exactly my question as mike and i are searching God for the particular church to worship and fellowship with. i'm not sure how to not become a social Christian club, other than members making it a purposeful point to include new people constantly. not just in planned formal settings like churchy classes, etc. but in real relationships. mike and i were discussing the newness of relationships here in AK and i was whining a bit about missing the closeness we had with freinds back home. i think God can use what we had there to help us help others here...it makes us want to reach out even more because we know what true fellowship can be like! one more thought, maybe new church plants are at an advantage because everyone is new (at least here at the one we've visited with) so that no one is walking in on 10 year relationships. mike ever so gently reminded me of this as i was whining...i said, "oh yeah, your'e right." he said,"wow, that was easy!" just munching on my food for thought! wow. you read my mind. exactly my question as mike and i are searching God for the particular church to worship and fellowship with. i’m not sure how to not become a social Christian club, other than members making it a purposeful point to include new people constantly. not just in planned formal settings like churchy classes, etc. but in real relationships.

mike and i were discussing the newness of relationships here in AK and i was whining a bit about missing the closeness we had with freinds back home. i think God can use what we had there to help us help others here…it makes us want to reach out even more because we know what true fellowship can be like!

one more thought, maybe new church plants are at an advantage because everyone is new (at least here at the one we’ve visited with) so that no one is walking in on 10 year relationships. mike ever so gently reminded me of this as i was whining…i said, “oh yeah, your’e right.” he said,”wow, that was easy!”

just munching on my food for thought!

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