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Lessons From Desert Man
The Small Church #16
Are They Slipping Through the Cracks?
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John was involved with his church as a volunteer for
the youth group, for a number of years. He had been
a part of the church council at one time. He was active
in evangelistic outreaches of the church. If the doors
were open he was there, if the plate was passed his
tithes and offerings could be found in it.
John went through some hard times. He had a bout with
sickness, and was out of work for a while. Money was
tight, and he almost lost his house. He found himself
unable to be involved in the ministry positions he
had previously held, and so he stepped down from them.
When John missed a number of Sundays, because he was
either sick or discouraged, no one called. After a
year, still no one has called, but John is attending
another church now. John slipped through the cracks.
Have others? It happens easily enough. We become busy
in the work of the Lord - holding meetings, organizing
events, preparing lessons; not to mention that we
all have a full time life outside of the church events.
When John isn't around, it's easy to let it pass,
and expect that we'll probably see him next week,
or the week after that, or.... It's not that John
was forgotten, it's just that no one remembered to
tell him that he was remembered. The people really
did care, but nobody took the time to share their
care.
John slipped through the cracks. Have others?
There have been times when people have slipped through
the cracks at Church on the Coast. I suppose it happens
everywhere, but we are not satisfied with it happening
here again. No matter what level of involvement a
person has had in the life of the church, we want
to be there for them in times of need. For this reason,
we encourage everyone to be a part of our Home Cell
groups. In the small group, we know care occurs.
Only in the small group setting, do people establish
the relationships which encourage accountability,
and care. It is the place where, as the Psalmist wrote,
"he sets the solitary in families." The small group
does this both naturally, and by design. It becomes
a family which will not allow John to slip between
the cracks.
It takes effort to make the home cell groups work
properly. It must be something to which the leadership,
and the members of a church are equally committed.
There must be an agreement among the members of an
individual cell group that they will support and encourage
one another. Above all this, there must be a willingness
to make the cell group members a part of our lives,
even when the cell group meetings are over.
We have worked hard to establish a pattern where the
cracks people slip through are getting plugged up.
Since it is true that the church is people, then people
are the only thing which can be used to plug up the
cracks, in the proper manner. People who are living
and ministering in intimate relationship to one another,
are the mortar which fills the cracks people slip
through.
John slipped through the cracks. Others don't have
to.
This is one more evidence for the power of home cell
groups. The small group is a place where people care
enough, to reach out and grab their hands before they
slip through.
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