Stick Church part trois

Why do some life groups jell and some don't? The answer isn't found in a specific format, procedure or administrative structure.

It is found in the process.

It's all about people relating with people.

To be an effective group, the group needs to be the right size.

When it comes to small groups, size matters.

If a group is too small, it has a hard time surviving. It it is too large, it has a tough time remaining sticky.

What is the right size?

It depends upon people's comfort zones.

Larry Osborne writes, "A group needs to be small enough that everyone has a chance to contribute, but large enough that no one feels forced to speak up or share more than they want to."

When it comes to small groups, the right people matter.

I have caught myself thinking, if not saying, that if any group of Christians get together, they ought to be able to jell because we are all one in Christ.

But that simply doesn't play out in real life.

Deep relationships are built on strong commonality.

Friendships can be deepened by those who are new to one another in relationship (I have experienced that) - but the basis of that is some kind of common interests, values or experiences (i.e. married couples, singles, single again, married couples with children, etc.)

My only concern is that life groups based around common interests further promote the cliquishness that we sometimes see in church life.

Here's a question. Do we assign or arrange our groups around neighborhoods or cities where people live or do we assign or arrange them around shared interests or a common station in life.

I would venture to say that the answer can be both. However, in might be that shared interests life groups would be the most effective.

I would like to see us reach the point where we have "shared interests" groups in each area of the Southwest side of Chicago that we are trying to reach. That way both ideals would be achieved.

Any thoughts?