During the epidemic, grassroots churches across the country have turned to small group meetings in accordance with the government’s prevention and control measures, allowing many believers to get close to God on online platforms. However, when Christians can’t worship and communicate with other believers in face-to-face services, smaller group gatherings have become normalized as part of the Christian lifestyle.
Small group meetings are supposed to be the moments for believers to share joy and the Lord’s love. However, for a nearly eighty-year-old believer L, the group gatherings become a blockage to her heart.
Under the influence of her father, a pastor, she became a Christian when she was a child, serving the Lord throughout her life, without her spiritual practice being ceased. Passing on the belief to her children, and aged 79 she led all her family members to the Lord.
During the long-term suspension of in-person services due to COVID-19, L hoped to attend a group meeting nearby, as she can’t travel far with her legs not being as agile as before. Not long after, introduced by an old female Christian, she began to participate in the group's Bible study meeting at another believer's home in the community.
"Led by a female believer in her thirties or forties, our Bible study group was established spontaneously by believers in the community. We start with the Old Testament, learning week after week." L said, "It happened to be Easter Sunday some time ago, so I suggested that we learn about some scriptures regarding the 'Seven Last Sayings on the Cross'. But the female leader was downcast, saying angrily, 'If you think it’s better, you lead the meeting instead of me.'"
L was so embarrassed by her sudden and abrupt reply that she sat down silently without saying more.
In addition to the obsessive control over the group's study schedule, the group mates also noticed that the leader also had the problem of a lack of humility.
"Most of believers in our group are elderly, and this female leader is relatively young. In the meetings, she often says that she has listened to many sermons from different places on the Internet, claiming to 'know a lot'". L said, "During the studies of 1 or 2 Chronicles two weeks ago, when an old male member shared his views on the scriptures based on his own daily study, she said impatiently, 'It’s enough that you just read the scriptures, and there is no need for you to preach!’”
It turned out that this female leader always felt that the aged were "out of touch with the times" in terms of thinking and spiritual growth. So she didn’t like listening to others, as she felt "superior" to the aged after equipping herself on the Internet.
"Although we old people are really not able to keep up with the young people in faith and thoughts, I think at least she should respect the old ones. We who have believed for a lifetime are hurt when hearing the younger one scolding us like this." The next few times when she received invitations to gather, she excused herself by saying she was not feeling well. As the resumption of onsite services seemed to be at a far distant date, Grandma L was full of sorrow and confusion...
There is also a similar case. Introduced by a Christian neighbor, a seeker joined a Bible study group near his home. However, the group leader was also quite strong, requiring group members to reach a certain standard of Bible reading every day. The person who didn’t finish would be snubbed or even criticized publicly. In the end, the seeker chose to leave the church the day before his baptism, as he could not overcome the inner obstacle, although he had studied in a catechism class.
As group gatherings have become normal under the epidemic in recent years, the qualities of group leaders become a concern of many believers. A group leader who has studied theology and is more spiritually mature can help the lay believers break through the bottleneck in faith; otherwise, he may cause them to stumble.
In view of this situation, I consulted two pastors about the qualities of small group leaders and how to nurture them.
Pastor H commented, "I think we should strictly select group leaders insisting on certain standards. A layperson leader can’t gain prestige in the group if he is zealous but lacks theological education without a healthy spiritual life. Others won’t obey him who can’t set an example in faith, in love or in purity. In this way, the team leader can’t work easily, or even may fail to lead, causing losses to himself and other team members."
Elder Z said, "In my opinion, the person in charge of pastoral care should be a spiritual person with theological attainments. In the group meeting, following Jesus’ example, the leaders of the group should care about the believers’ lives, thoughts, and hopes besides their spiritual needs."
"Secondly, with a tolerant heart, they should accept the weaknesses of each believer, exhorting and encouraging them to grow step by step. They need to influence others with good behaviors. In addition, group leaders also need to inspire lay believers to live for the Lord, letting them learn and grow in service," he added.
Under the normalization of pandemic prevention and control, group meetings with about ten people are an ideal way to shepherd believers to avoid them being lured by heresy, making up for the absence of in-person gatherings.
In the specific implementation of pastoral ministry, after making study plans in advance, group leaders can put forward questions to be discussed with a summarization. At the same time, leaders are encouraged to innovate the form of worship, like guiding believers to speak actively to know the will of God. After Bible studies and praying, believers can practice the truth in their daily lives.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
疫情期间，全国不少地区的基层教会都因配合防控政策而选择了暂停实地聚会。这让许多信徒只能通过线上的方式与神亲近，但是，当无法在实体敬拜中享受与弟兄姊妹的属灵团契与相交时，规模较小的小组聚会成为了许多平信徒在疫情中信仰生活的常态。
按理说，小组聚会本应当是弟兄姊妹彼此相交，共享主爱的喜乐恩典时刻。但是，对于一位年近八旬的L奶奶而言，小组聚会却给她的内心添了不少堵。
今年79岁的L奶奶是位敬虔信仰了一辈子的基督徒，在身为传道人的父亲的影响下，她从小便建立了基督信仰，并一生积极为主服侍奔跑，灵修操练从不停歇，并将这信仰传承下来，培养出了一大家子基督徒。
随着疫情的爆发，当地教会开始了长时间的暂停。由于腿脚不如以往灵便，也不方便出远门，因此她便希望能够就近找到可以线下团契的小组。没过多久，在同小区的一位老姊妹介绍下，她开始在小区的另一户信徒家中参与小组的查经聚会。
“我们这个查经小组是小区的信徒自发建立的，负责带领的是个姊妹，年纪大概有三四十岁的样子，平时我们就从旧约开始查，每周不间断。”L奶奶向笔者介绍道，“前段时间正好是到了复活节，我就在聚会的时候跟这位姊妹提了个建议，是否可以查考一些诸如‘十架七言’的经文。结果，这位姊妹当着大家的面就变了脸色，气冲冲地对我说：‘你要是懂的话你来带吧！我不带了！’”
这突如其来的生硬回复让L奶奶感到十分尴尬，碍于情面，她没有多说什么，就默默地坐回了原位。
除了对于小组的学习日程安排有着近乎偏执的掌控欲外，跟L奶奶同小组的弟兄姊妹们也发现，这位带领的姊妹似乎在“谦卑”方面也有着一些欠缺。
“我们这个小组老年信徒比较多，这个姊妹算是年龄比较小的，她在平时带领分享的过程中就常常说自己一直在通过网络，学习各地的讲道解经，自称是‘懂的不少’。”L奶奶说，“前两周，我们查到了历代志，有一位老弟兄在分享环节结合自己平时的学习谈了谈自己对经文的见解，结果这位姊妹不耐烦的说：‘你分享就讲经文内容就对了，这用不着你讲道！’”
原来，这位姊妹总觉得老年人在思维以及灵命成长方面“跟时代脱节”了，而自己又是不断通过网络装备自身，自觉“高人一等”，也不喜欢聆听大家的分享。
“虽然我们这些老年人的信仰思想层面确实不太能跟上了，但是我觉得最起码的尊重老人还是需要做到的，我们这些信仰了一辈子的老人听着小辈这样呵斥，心里也挺受伤的。” 后面几次收到邀请去参加聚会，她都以身体不舒服为由推脱了，对于似乎遥遥无期的恢复聚会，L奶奶内心满是忧愁与迷茫……
案例分析：
在笔者身边，也曾出现过类似L奶奶经历的案例：一位对信仰有所追求的慕道友，在基督徒邻居的介绍下加入了家附近的信徒学习小组。然而，该小组的小组长性格同样相当强势，要求小组成员每天必须达到一定的读经标准，达不到就冷眼相对，甚至大肆公开批评。最终，尽管这位慕道友在教会接受了慕道培训，但是依旧没有跨过内心障碍，最终还是在受洗的前一天选择离开了教会。
==随着近年来小组聚会成为疫情下的常态，小组的带领组长应当具备的素质成为了不少弟兄姊妹关心的问题。一位在神学装备与灵命成长都相当成熟的小组长可以很大程度上成为带领平信徒度过信仰的瓶颈期的“引路人”；反之，则会成为信徒追求信仰道路上的试探，甚至会导致其在信心上跌倒。==此段为summary
就这一状况，笔者咨询了两位在牧养一线服侍的牧者，请他们简单谈谈个人对于小组牧养事工中的“小组长”应具备的素质以及如何培养小组长的一些见解与看法：
H牧师：我认为，在疫情下的小组牧养事工中，教会挑选小组长的标准不能降低，还是需要严加筛选的。
如果我们将小组长的标准降低，将一个空有一腔热心，却在神学素养或是生命状态仍有欠缺的平信徒坚立为为小组长的话，那么其就很难在小组中产生威望。若无法在信心、爱心、清洁等方面做众人的榜样，就不能服众。这样，这个组长就会做得很辛苦，甚至会很失败，从而给自己及其他组员都带来亏损。
Z长老：我认为，小组牧养的负责人首先应当具备良好的属灵品格，当然，也应当有一定的神学造诣。
在小组牧养中，小组的负责人应该效法主耶稣，具有牧者情怀，真正关注信徒需求，不仅是属灵需要，还要关心他们的生活，了解他们所思所想所盼。
其次，小组负责人应该怀着一颗宽容理解的心，接纳每个信徒的弱点，循序渐进，对他们进行逐步劝勉鼓励，要在生活中以身作则，做信徒的榜样，以言语行为做信徒的榜样，真正用生命影响生命。
此外，在小组牧养中，也需要发挥信徒的作用。小组带领人在做好带领之余，也需要唤醒平信徒，激发他们的信心，使他们乐于甘心乐意献上，决志为主而活；还要对他们委以重任，压担子，加压力，使他们在服侍中学习不断成长。
小组牧养方式是当前应对疫情常态化形式下的一种理想模式，可以弥补实体聚会暂停期间的牧养空缺，促进灵命增长，避免误入异端邪说的诱惑拉拢、人数以十人左右为佳。
在具体牧养执行上，需要制定明确的学习计划，采取提前学习、列出问题、进行讨论、归纳总结等形式，使大家学有所得。同时鼓励大家创新礼拜模式，让小组信徒积极发言，在交流中碰撞，理解灵意，产生火花。从而结合圣经对照祈祷、领悟，明确神的旨意，并且用于日常生活之中。
http://www.fuyinshibao.cn/article/index/id/62590
疫情期间的小组聚会，为何让这位八旬的老姊妹苦恼不已？
During the epidemic, grassroots churches across the country have turned to small group meetings in accordance with the government’s prevention and control measures, allowing many believers to get close to God on online platforms. However, when Christians can’t worship and communicate with other believers in face-to-face services, smaller group gatherings have become normalized as part of the Christian lifestyle.
Small group meetings are supposed to be the moments for believers to share joy and the Lord’s love. However, for a nearly eighty-year-old believer L, the group gatherings become a blockage to her heart.
Under the influence of her father, a pastor, she became a Christian when she was a child, serving the Lord throughout her life, without her spiritual practice being ceased. Passing on the belief to her children, and aged 79 she led all her family members to the Lord.
During the long-term suspension of in-person services due to COVID-19, L hoped to attend a group meeting nearby, as she can’t travel far with her legs not being as agile as before. Not long after, introduced by an old female Christian, she began to participate in the group's Bible study meeting at another believer's home in the community.
"Led by a female believer in her thirties or forties, our Bible study group was established spontaneously by believers in the community. We start with the Old Testament, learning week after week." L said, "It happened to be Easter Sunday some time ago, so I suggested that we learn about some scriptures regarding the 'Seven Last Sayings on the Cross'. But the female leader was downcast, saying angrily, 'If you think it’s better, you lead the meeting instead of me.'"
L was so embarrassed by her sudden and abrupt reply that she sat down silently without saying more.
In addition to the obsessive control over the group's study schedule, the group mates also noticed that the leader also had the problem of a lack of humility.
"Most of believers in our group are elderly, and this female leader is relatively young. In the meetings, she often says that she has listened to many sermons from different places on the Internet, claiming to 'know a lot'". L said, "During the studies of 1 or 2 Chronicles two weeks ago, when an old male member shared his views on the scriptures based on his own daily study, she said impatiently, 'It’s enough that you just read the scriptures, and there is no need for you to preach!’”
It turned out that this female leader always felt that the aged were "out of touch with the times" in terms of thinking and spiritual growth. So she didn’t like listening to others, as she felt "superior" to the aged after equipping herself on the Internet.
"Although we old people are really not able to keep up with the young people in faith and thoughts, I think at least she should respect the old ones. We who have believed for a lifetime are hurt when hearing the younger one scolding us like this." The next few times when she received invitations to gather, she excused herself by saying she was not feeling well. As the resumption of onsite services seemed to be at a far distant date, Grandma L was full of sorrow and confusion...
There is also a similar case. Introduced by a Christian neighbor, a seeker joined a Bible study group near his home. However, the group leader was also quite strong, requiring group members to reach a certain standard of Bible reading every day. The person who didn’t finish would be snubbed or even criticized publicly. In the end, the seeker chose to leave the church the day before his baptism, as he could not overcome the inner obstacle, although he had studied in a catechism class.
As group gatherings have become normal under the epidemic in recent years, the qualities of group leaders become a concern of many believers. A group leader who has studied theology and is more spiritually mature can help the lay believers break through the bottleneck in faith; otherwise, he may cause them to stumble.
In view of this situation, I consulted two pastors about the qualities of small group leaders and how to nurture them.
Pastor H commented, "I think we should strictly select group leaders insisting on certain standards. A layperson leader can’t gain prestige in the group if he is zealous but lacks theological education without a healthy spiritual life. Others won’t obey him who can’t set an example in faith, in love or in purity. In this way, the team leader can’t work easily, or even may fail to lead, causing losses to himself and other team members."
Elder Z said, "In my opinion, the person in charge of pastoral care should be a spiritual person with theological attainments. In the group meeting, following Jesus’ example, the leaders of the group should care about the believers’ lives, thoughts, and hopes besides their spiritual needs."
"Secondly, with a tolerant heart, they should accept the weaknesses of each believer, exhorting and encouraging them to grow step by step. They need to influence others with good behaviors. In addition, group leaders also need to inspire lay believers to live for the Lord, letting them learn and grow in service," he added.
Under the normalization of pandemic prevention and control, group meetings with about ten people are an ideal way to shepherd believers to avoid them being lured by heresy, making up for the absence of in-person gatherings.
In the specific implementation of pastoral ministry, after making study plans in advance, group leaders can put forward questions to be discussed with a summarization. At the same time, leaders are encouraged to innovate the form of worship, like guiding believers to speak actively to know the will of God. After Bible studies and praying, believers can practice the truth in their daily lives.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Case Study: Small Group Leaders' Requirements Under Church Lockdown
