WEEDPATCH
In our 10:45 worship service on January 22, we celebrated the mutual ministries of our Nursery School and NPC congregation. With the sanctuary full of young families and children, Allie Brisbois, our high school youth pastor, preached an important message on discipleship in the home. She candidly described the challenges of being a godly parent, and imparting to our children a faith that “sticks”. Allie suggested several means of grace, such as Bible study, prayer, and worship. But at the top of her list was her and Clay's involvement in a small group with three other couples who also have young children. In that safe environment of mutual acceptance, Bible study, and prayer, the awesome privilege and responsibility of parenting becomes lighter.
In a similar way, I think of the men's small group I have participated in for over 15 years. It is one of the important places in church life where I am a “regular member”, a brother in Christ, and not the leader. Our format is to draw a question out of an urn (any container will do, but we enjoy the sense of ancient mystery). The questions are application oriented, based on specific verses of Scripture, and written up anonymously by different members of the group. It is a “dramatic” moment in our meetings when the urn question is drawn out and read aloud.
Usually, we do one question per meeting, but over the last couple of months we have wrestled with one question: “Can you write your life mission in one sentence?” I will confess that I submitted this question because in the course of my recent “pastoral listening”, (a huge part of my job is to listen not only to God, but to God's people), everywhere I turn in our church, people are asking this question. They may not be trying to write it in one sentence, but there is a positive restlessness among all ages and seasons of life to know “why I am here”. Even as I write this article, I am trying to plan and pray through a sermon series that addresses this question. God willing, it will begin on January 29.
But my point here is to observe that we cannot answer this question in isolation. We need one another. For the last two months we have taken turns in our group encouraging one another about who we are in Christ, and what our mission might be. It has been energizing and enlightening is ways that could not happen by ourselves.
One final note, the article on the next page summarizes the highlights of a recent trip to Orlando. I was among four leaders from NPC to attend a gathering of the “Fellowship of Presbyterians”, Jan 18-20. Other than getting snowed in for an extra day, pretty much all spent in the airport, it was great)! Among several things I appreciate about the Fellowship is the accent placed on “theological friendships”, a life giving emphasis on being more relationally connected with other pastors, leaders, and churches. This is a central part of the strategy to “build flourishing churches that make disciples of Jesus Christ”. In other words, the same encouragement we experience in small groups within the local church, would be practiced in the larger Fellowship of Presbyterians.
I have attended business meetings of Presbytery for many years, but the idea of being linked in small groups for encouragement and accountability with other pastors and church leaders is frankly exciting. Indeed, wherever we journey in the Christian life, we are stronger together than by ourselves.
Love in Christ - Steve
PS If you would like to be part of a small group, you may notify Charlie and Joann Huntington, as our small group coordinators, call the church office, or check out the opportunities in our weekly bulletin or on the website.
