Sometimes you have to take a good look at your community's ongoing activities, and form a strategy. Some things may neeed pruning. Some may be high-maintenance, and yet provide little in the way of pastoral or missional growth. Some ventures may be on the verge of real growth, just given the right resource. And some may just be stupid.
And so I've decided it's time to re-organise the study and fellowship groups.
First to the Pauline Epistles study group. Given Paul's closely-reasoned arguments, it seemed like the perfect group for the real detail people - people who can get to grips with the text, really wrestle with it. And we were blessed to have Lamsbread to join the group, with his solid Koine Greek knowledge and compendious collection of dictionaries and thesauruses. But it's been three years. And meeting every week, I was really hoping they'd be a bit further forward than Romans 6 by now.
The Pebbles and Tea Lights Appreciation Society is to be split in two. To be honest, it's been that way since the mutual anathemas were issued. I've never really got to the bottom of their problems - but then I've always quite liked vanilla myself.
The Astronomy group has been suffering as well. When we set it up, we thought it was good for a Creation-affirming bunch like us to have some people who, every week, would get together to discuss how brilliant the Universe is. Give us a sense of awe, I thought. But since they realised just how big it all is it's kind of morphed into a Feelings of Worthlessness mutual support group. And we've already got the Fundie Baptists down the road if that's what you're into.
Finally, the Older Ladies' Simple Introduction to the Bible without those Nasty Hard Concepts Group.
Well, where do I start, really....?
And so I've decided it's time to re-organise the study and fellowship groups.
First to the Pauline Epistles study group. Given Paul's closely-reasoned arguments, it seemed like the perfect group for the real detail people - people who can get to grips with the text, really wrestle with it. And we were blessed to have Lamsbread to join the group, with his solid Koine Greek knowledge and compendious collection of dictionaries and thesauruses. But it's been three years. And meeting every week, I was really hoping they'd be a bit further forward than Romans 6 by now.
The Pebbles and Tea Lights Appreciation Society is to be split in two. To be honest, it's been that way since the mutual anathemas were issued. I've never really got to the bottom of their problems - but then I've always quite liked vanilla myself.
The Astronomy group has been suffering as well. When we set it up, we thought it was good for a Creation-affirming bunch like us to have some people who, every week, would get together to discuss how brilliant the Universe is. Give us a sense of awe, I thought. But since they realised just how big it all is it's kind of morphed into a Feelings of Worthlessness mutual support group. And we've already got the Fundie Baptists down the road if that's what you're into.
Finally, the Older Ladies' Simple Introduction to the Bible without those Nasty Hard Concepts Group.
Well, where do I start, really....?
I often wonder about people who join study groups, what are they looking for?
ReplyDeleteIs it, mutual support in ignorance or to actually learn something. My experience of study group is that there are always one or two, OTT enthusiasts, who completely overwhelm the rest of us studious, industrious type, who want to drill down to the minutia of things. They rush headlong into it, pronounce their immediate thoughts as the definite article and leap onwards, leaving the rest of us floundering.
I've come to the conclusion that a group of one is the best group. You can study and move at your own speed and have no worries about being put down by a self opinionated leadership contender.
The best study groups are the least well attended, where drinking tea and eating cake is the main activity and where conversation tends to be about what the weather will turn out like at the weekend. At the end, a casual reference to the purpose of the group and what we will actually do at the next meeting, knowing fully well that tea and cake are the priority, not obscure bits of knowledge.