40

It's not my age. I'm way beyond that. I'm 42.

No, 40 is the number of Growth Groups we are hoping for, praying for and working toward this Fall.

I had lunch with a friend today at Nois, out in Baywood. Can you believe I've never had Thai food? WOW! So, so good. I'm definitely going back, but I digress . . . .

This friend, without my prompting,out of the blue says, "That Growth Group thing is the best thing you you guys have done. Its not about the message (I didn't take it personally!), but about connecting with others midweek who share your values and are trying to live by faith in Jesus like you are."

Bingo. I really don't think I could have said it any better myself. That fired me up! So he's involved in this rockin' diverse Growth Group in Los Osos and their living life together. He's building relationships. He's processing the Gospel beyond Sunday morning. He's feeling connected and dialed in.

Are you? Don't you want to be? This is what Growth Groups are all about. Not a cold, dead, plastic rehash of the sermon, but people doing life together, trying to figure out what it means to follow Jesus in the real world.

So we don't know what God is going to do, but we're praying for, trusting Him for 40. We think the Lord would be pleased with 40, even 50 Growth Groups at GraceSLO this Fall.

We need at least 40. We had some Growth Groups that were almost 20 people. Too big. We need to break that size down to the 6-12 range.

Childcare is a challenge for many. It was a challenge for us. Last Spring several Family-Style Growth Groups began to emerge. For these Groups, kids were not a hassle to be shipped off, but a joy to be embraced. Definitely makes the group a little crazier, but it makes it so much more fun (funner!) as well. The kids in our Growth Groups loved gathering together and they were catching the idea of families doing life together.

In others words, some Growth Groups look like this. . .

16 Adults, 18 kids, 1 babysitter (not pictured, 1 adult, 1 child)

But other Growth Groups look like this . . . .

(not sure if the sermon did this to them or what?)

So, seriously, sit down with yourself or your spouse or your family and start planning now to make involvement in a Growth Group a "big rock priority" in your life this Fall.

We need more Growth Group shepherds. If you're interested in shepherding a Growth Group, get in touch with Tim Arlen at tima@graceslo.org. Are you striving to walk with the Lord? Do you want to connect with others and help others connect with Jesus? Then you're qualified to be a Growth Group Shepherd. We'll give you what you need and provide support and training along the way.

For more information about Growth Groups and why their such a HUGE priority at GraceSLO, listen to these couple of messages I preached awhile back. . .

The Priority of Growth Groups

Why Our Growth Group Model?

What I want and envision in a Growth Group

Growth Group Reflections

I'm 4 weeks into leading our first Growth Group and here are a few reflections so far. . .

• It's challenging. I'm a pastor. What I do is talk to people and work with people. But I'm surprised how much leading a Growth Group has stretched me. It gives me great empathy for our 30 other Growth Group leaders, their commitment and vulnerability in leading. We do lots of spiritual things with each other and next to each other, but to turn toward each other and process spiritual things and our faith together . . . that's really a stretch for most of us. It's challenging for everyone to get there. It's challenging to manage the time--it goes so fast. It's challenging to host and lead.
  

• It's a commitment. Just setting aside the time each week is a commitment. One more thing in our already busy lives. Hosting is a commitment. It's impossible not to clean-up a little bit. Having 25+ people in your home each week necessitates some clean up afterward. I've been making soup each week. Others have been bringing side-dishes each week. This, too, is a commitment. We have to plan for this. We have to plan around this.
  
• 
  
• It's intimate. It's vulnerable for anyone and everyone to open up your life, struggles, faith and doubts to other people. To ask for prayer and be prayed for. This involves ongoing risk taking.
  
  
• It takes time. Our group is connecting much more naturally in week 4 than we did in week 1. There is definitely a life-cycle to these groups. Week 1 was frustrating and felt forced. But already by week 4, I feel like we know what's happening in one another's lives and are jumping right in with one another.
  
  
• It requires God working. If our group or any group is going to go, God must show up. God must work in our regular gathering. He's got to enable us to take risks and open up to one another. He's got to help us keep the commitment. He's got to lead and guide and illumine the word. He's got to help and give wisdom and discernment and spiritual freshness to Growth Group leaders. Because of the aforementioned factors, He's got to make it happen. I realize I can't make this group go or these people grow apart from Him. I have prayed hard for our group. I've prayed harder and more consistently than ever for our 30 Growth Groups and their leaders.
  
  
• It's a rhythm. It's so easy to think of our lives as shaped by events and purchases. I think rhythms and practices shape us. Rhythms and practices are more subtle and go deeper and take longer. I see our weekly Growth Group as a life-shaping practice. It's not about any one week, but about connecting and practicing gathering with God's people.
  
  
• It's so worth it. Though it's a lot of work and challenging, I look forward to our group each week. It's been so sweet sharing a meal together weekly and having kids present with us. It feels like these families are, in a small way, living life together. I expect this feeling will only grow. I'm more convinced than ever, that this is what life is about and this is how God intends for us to live. Our Growth Group is a lab where we're working in and working out and applying the Gospel.

Leading a Growth Group is one of a couple of things that has kept me away from blogging recently. That's a good thing. Less electronic and more real life.

I'd love to hear some thoughts from others of you who are in Growth Groups here at Grace this Spring. Share your experience. Share some encouragement or even a challenge. . . .

FAQ #1: Growth Groups & Covenant Membership

In Sunday's message, we talked some more about "covenant community" and how we move toward it here at GraceSLO.

What is a "covenant"? In its broadest Biblical sense, a "covenant" is a committed and intimate relationship. Jesus makes possible a new "covenant" or committed intimate relationship with God by means of His shed blood. At the same time He calls us into a new "covenant community" called the church.

By "covenant community" I mean the kind of a committed, intimate, relational community which is implied in Acts 2:42, Romans 12:9-13 and numerous other passages which speak of the church's life together.

How do we move toward the kind of community God desires and the Bible describes for God's people in the church?

On Sunday, I highlighted two key commitments that our elders and pastors believe can move us forward in the days ahead. . . .

1. A commitment to Growth Groups.
   
   
   
2. A commitment to Covenant Membership.

Over the next couple of weeks, I'll say more about each of these, but for now, we've begun the dialogue.

If you haven't listened to the message, do that first.

If you have listened to the message, here's a first round of questions and my answers. That's important! These are my answers at present, and do not reflect the official position of the elders at this time. There is still much that needs to be discussed and decided. And yet, I still think it's helpful to open up the process and encourage the dialogue. On the membership front, very little is set in stone yet. The questions were great questions submitted by one individual in our church. Here goes. . .

• Do you and the leadership anticipate keeping the growth group model currently being utilized? Are those groups going to continue being sermon based?
  
  We are committed to a "main stream" of Growth Groups that will be sermon-based, but we've also acknowledged the need for a few short term "tributaries" (working on a better term!) off the "mean stream". These "tributaries" will address felt need topics like parenting and marriage stuff. These groups and their leaders will be approved and the aim will be to get folks back into the "main stream" of the sermon based model as soon as possible. Our focus will continue to be sermon-based groups for a whole host of reasons including quality control, unity, growth in the same direction, leader equipping and training, manageability, maximizing the church's limited resources, and scalability.
  
  
• Do you anticipate groups which will be gender specific, as well as gender specific groups being led by women or men?
  
  We're open to gender specific groups. We have had some in college for the last three years. But we also believe it's valuable and preferable, whenever possible, to get couples in groups together. Our experience is that couples just don't know how to talk about spiritual things very well and we believe a healthy, vibrant Growth Group can help couples grow in this area. Similarly, we believe couples together in Growth Groups is family-supporting, rather than segmenting the family throughout the week. We're trying to be careful to not undermine the family and its precious time together.
  
  We're open to Growth Groups organized around ages and stages of people's lives. (singles, married without kids, divorced, etc) We're fine with gender specific groups being led by leaders of the same gender. We're open to husbands and wives co-leading mixed-gender groups.

• With the shift of focus at the church, who will be giving over site to this ministry?
  
  For now, Pastor Steve will continue to give over site to this ministry, though Ken, Steve, and I are working on a lot of this stuff together.

• I know you just touched on membership and will be flushing that out more in the next few weeks, what will that look like for those wanting to serve at the church? Will membership be required to do so?
  
  We will tie serving to membership for most serving positions/places, but not all. I don't see membership being required for "entry level" and occasional serving positions like greeting, refreshments or Fall Kick-Off helpers, I'm open when it comes to POW Small Group leaders. Membership will be required for Growth Group Leaders and those who teach Sunday School. Our goal will to encourage all to move toward membership as a way of committing to our covenant community. The staff and elders have got a long way to go in terms of fleshing all this out, but these are my thoughts today. We see membership as a way of building a relational community, being accountable to one another, caring for one another, and shepherding the flock. Those who have a conscience issue with church membership we would work with individually. Those who don't want to become members, will be welcome here and not second class citizens, but limited in the places they can serve.
  
  We're really aware the church membership will an "uphill swim", in our culture which is increasingly individualistic and non-committal, but our moving forward is driven by a desire to better "be the church" and to better "shepherd the flock." We believe the Lord calls us to commit to one another, even in, or especially in, an age of non-commitment.

• Are you anticipating a series of classes to instruct in this area?
  
  We do anticipate membership training classes. Pastor Ken has already begun teaching regular "Getting to Know Grace" classes, which we see morphing into Membership Classes. I expect for the great majority of the congregation, we will devise an initial way for them to become members.

• Will growth group participation be a requirement of church membership?
  
  Again, we've got to flesh this out, but I imagine something like this being a part of a membership covenant. . . . .
  
  "Since the Christian life is not a solo or individual journey, I commit to regularly being involved with others here at GraceSLO in a Growth Group (our preference) or some other type of small group (men's, women's or other)."
  
  I would define regular as at least one quarter a year.

Again this is a "first blush", but hopefully it's helpful in opening up our evolving thinking on these matters.

I'm throwing it out there and we're inviting your input.

Journey of Faith #3: Making Time for Growth Groups

I appreciate all our Growth Group leaders. Our elders have been talking much about the priority of Growth Groups here at Grace. We have got a ton of great stuff going on, but none of these are as effective as Growth Groups as providing a consistent environment of growth.

Stay tuned for a lot more about Growth Groups in the days ahead.

Winter Growth Group enrollment opens in the middle of December.

The Gospel & Your Marriage at SLO High

Today at noon I've been asked to come and share my 10.19.08 message on God's Purposes for Marriage at the SLO High Christian Club. A great opportunity indeed!

Not sure who is going to be there, but I am hoping many non-believers. I'm encouraged that the Christian Club is grappling with real life issues.

Once more, my goal will be to clearly present what the Bible says about the place and value of marriage.

Pray that I might be clear, but winsome . . . gentle, but not pull any punches . . . compassionate toward sinners, but straightforward about sin and its ravages.


Speaking of high school students, I've been much encouraged by Pastor Toddd's recent decision to shift the Student Ministries' small group model toward the all-church Growth Group model as a way of encouraging integration of students in our worship services. I know it has not been a decision that has been popular among all, but already I'm hearing great feedback from high school students who are attending worship and/or listening over the web and working through "the Gospel for Real Life." We are growing together in the same direction.

Open for Ministry

Great Grand Opening Sunday for our Founder's Hall and Early Childhood Center. If you missed the morning, listen here to hear what this building is for . . . What were your reactions?

Busy weekend for me. . . the Lighthouse Century on Saturday, the Grand Opening and then a Sunday afternoon memorial service in the L.A.. area for an uncle who unexpectedly passed away in his sleep last week. Trying to get going this morning. . . .

Growth Groups start this week. . . . in case you've signed up, but are now entertaining second thoughts because of your own busy schedule, here's that Growth Group promo video to encourage you to show up this first week. . .

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Finally, there are just 21 hours left on our "Greeting" survey. . . .let's push that thing to 80 before it ends.

Get in a Growth Group this Fall

We recently had a fantastic Growth Group Vision Gathering with some of our Growth Group Leaders as we look toward the Fall together.

Growth Group enrollment begins this Sunday and continues through September. Whether you are brand new to Grace or have been here for many years, we want to urge you to commit yourself to a Growth Group this Fall. We thought these videos from the time with our leaders would would give you a sense of our vision and perhaps motivate you to jump in. . .

1. Me sharing of my heart for Growth Groups in the overall "Big Picture" of Grace:



Pastor Steve sharing about the priorities of Growth Groups:



Frequently Asked Questions with Pastor Tim and Pastor Steve:

Holler if you have any questions and let us know what you think. Many thanks to Jack Hutchinson for making the vids happen.

Encouraging Email of the Week

At the end of every round of Growth Groups, we give participants an opportunity to fill out an evaluation and tell us about their experience. This woman couldn't get the eval to work, so she sent an email instead. I'm so glad she did. Made my week. This what Growth Groups at Grace are all about . . . Connecting, Growing, Welcoming. Growth Groups are helping new folks enter in to life together at Grace. Hope you're involved. . . She's right, this is how I "would like to see our church."

I’ll just tell you how it was. I really enjoyed it learned a lot and was welcomed by all. Peter and Amy K. ran the group and they did a great job. Peter let those of us talk when we needed and listen when we needed. As a new person to growth groups I was a bit worried how it would be with me not knowing as much as others relating to knowledge of the bible. The folks in my group were accepting friendly and supportive. We ranged in ages from college students to young and older married couples. I did sign up for another growth group and when I spoke about it to my group they welcomed me back with open friendly arms. I now have chosen to stay with this group one more session, for I feel I need to continue my learning of the gospel and I need the support of those I have had before to help me through some trying times(I need the stability of the group). I see this group as how Pastor Tim would like to see our church. The group opened up to someone new, welcomed me easily, included me and supported me and did not place judgment on how I felt about things, They gave input, suggestions and loving support. It was a totally positive experience and I’m glad I did it.