Balancing Truth and Life for Spiritual Transformation in
the Community Group Setting
There are two ends of the spectrum that a community group
can fall into—truth and life. The job of a community group leader is
to balance the two so that no group leans to one side more than the
other. For it is in the balance of the two that spiritual transformation
happens.
What do I mean by “truth” and “life”. Truth
groups focus on doctrine, right and wrong answers, and the accumulation of
information. Although never said verbally the group axiom is “He who
knows the most, wins.” Leaders expect group members to come prepared
with all Bible reading completed and answers filled in. The group
time is dominated by a preoccupation with “finishing the lesson”. After
all, the more you know, the more raw material the Spirit has to work with when
changing someone’s heart. Life groups focus on telling
stories, sharing, engaging one another. Everything is rooted in
experience. This is the “tell-my-story, help-me-with-my-problems,
can-I-talk-about-my-issues, pray-for-me group. Members are rewarded
for being “real”—even if they are really wrong.
Spirtual Transformation is where “Truth” meets “Life”. It
is about truth that engages life and produces spiritual growth in the community
of Christ followers. Truth must become personal and
relational. For you as a community group leader the challenge is
walking the tightrope—to stand between the tension of truth and life and do
both. That is, to make sure truth is very present in your meetings, but
also make sure that truth is brought to bear on life in community. You
must call members to open their lives to one another so they can be
changed. Our community groups are seeking to take the abstract truth
given in a Sunday sermon and make it real, relational, and practical for
people. And to further wrestle with and come to a greater
understanding of the truth that is revealed in God’s word.
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