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The Message That Motivates Us To Change
Brian Mashburn
September 5, 2010
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The Family Plan
Next week kicks off our 3-month “Give Groups a Try” campaign. We are all going to move out of rows and into circles, so that every one of our Southwest family is trying a small group for 6 weeks beginning October 17th.
We pray you’ll be sold on the value of group life for good - for each of us and for inviting new folks to join us.
Starting next week, we’ll be using Sunday mornings to get you oriented to our church family resources that are being organized to help groups succeed and grow.
We will be using Sunday nights to train you on how to create and sustain a healthy (SALTi) small group atmosphere. Whether you are a group host or group member, these motivational, useful times will help. And we’ll take care of your kids up to 5th grade!
There is no hurry, but sometime between next week and October 17th, stop by one of the Small Group tables in the foyer. Friendly Group Coaches will meet you there to help you register to either Host or join a group. Or you can register your already formed group. Either way, you’ll leave there knowing your next steps.
Many of you are wondering how to merge the momentum that you already have in your current small group with the momentum we are now creating as a church. You could go ahead and register your group, but my advice is for you to wait a few weeks into our campaign before doing so.
Why? Because the vision and training that you will be exposed to will help you take the SALTi elements, lay it over your group, and identify what areas you are strong in, and where you could grow. This may influence how your group wants to proceed. Mark down Sunday night, October 3rd, and be sure your whole group can come. We’re building in time at the end of that week’s training for your group to get together to decide how to proceed.
This transition we are instigating is hard work. You should see the Southwest staff buzzing all over the office trying to keep up with everything. I don’t mind admitting that it would be easier on me (maybe you, too), if we just kept everything the same.
But we can’t. The message we carry (and the love that it calls for) demands that we do anything that might better get that message to as many people as possible.
Let’s take a breath today and reconnect with that message. Its glory and goodness will compel you - not merely to adjust how you “do church,” but to die daily, for God’s glory, your joy, and for the sake of the world.