Change

When was the last time something you heard/talked about really affected you to the point that you changed the way you live/acted? That is getting me to wonder: when was the last time I made a change at all and what were the circumstances of that change? There have been different character traits I've tried to develop, tried to read more, exercise more, stop bad habits, grow more, etc. When I worked at Starbucks I made a lot of changes in order to work better. I had to learn what it took to be successful and do whatever it took to become a better shift supervisor.

In church the ultimate goal is change. We want people to change the way they think and change they way they act? No small task. But, I was thinking, when was the last time I really changed the way I thought/ acted based on something I heard from church? When was the last time I left a small group meeting really gnawing on something and that something led me towards change? When was the last time I left church really ready to make a change in my life?

I think in small groups, church leaders need to take a look at what they're doing and how they're doing it? What do we hope to accomplish through small groups? Are we accomplishing that goal and what is our plan to help people to get there? In most cases, change doesn't happen on accident. It seems in most churches, the church will first decide to have small groups, then decide on a curriculum, and that's the end. It might then decide what kind of people it wants to build. But, there are two questions there: 1. Is small groups the best mode to build what you want to build? 2. Is the mode of teaching your using helping you accomplish that goal? Instead a church should first decide what sort of disciples it hopes to create, then decide on what is the best way to get there. Finally, the church should decide on what curriculum it will used based on what will truly move people towards change.

When was the last time you made a significant change? What moved you to change? How can you repeat that for others?