Editor’s note: In the post-pandemic era, the pandemic control and the change in the environment have had a profound impact on Christian churches. Meanwhile, innovations and changes have taken place in varying degrees from the form to the quality of gatherings. Before the pandemic, church services were held in the buildings. However, in the last three years under the pandemic, the church had to change from large building gatherings to small group gatherings. For those churches that had already been doing small groups previously, the transformation can be carried out naturally, but for churches inexperienced in this way, the mode of small groups presents many problems. Both experienced and novice churches are faced with the real challenges brought by group gatherings.
Recently, the Christian Times, an online Chinese Christian newspaper, interviewed Pastor D from South China. D witnessed some problems that happened to himself, group leaders and believers during the transformation of his church to the small group mode.
From large building services to today’s small group mode, D talked about difficulties in the process.
The first is that generally, the Three-Self Church does not have much experience in this mode. In the process of the transformation, pastors and group leaders will find it difficult at many operational levels. It is like a person who has not worked as an accountant and is asked to do the job. It will be very difficult for him. Anything you do requires the accumulation of experience. Then, you can do it well.
The second is the selection of group leaders. Those who are enthusiastic in the church are not necessarily suitable for being group leaders. Perhaps they have been a leader of a certain ministry in a church. However, leading a small group requires much attention to detailed work such as building relationships with team members. If they are impatient, it will be difficult to lead the group well.
Third, the team leader is not well trained. They might have attended faith growth courses, but group leaders need to attend leadership courses. Even though they have received leadership training, it’s uneasy to implement what they’ve learned.
For instance, when the group leader announces to set up watch partners and a prayer group, the members react coldly and the group becomes helpless because believers do not know much about these issues. To build up a ministry, pastors will encounter many obstacles during the process of implementation. Believers should be prompted and see examples, only hearing about the thing is not enough for them to participate.
Implementation is very troublesome. In my city, people are busy with work and life, and they do not want to invest too much time and energy in their group. After participating in small group activities and praying for each other several times, group members think that’s all and a small group is nothing more. Therefore, many groups have a short life span. The group will be vibrant for a while, one or two years, and then get weaker and weaker, shrink gradually.
On the other hand, there is a pattern of boredom when people get along with each other for a long time. They pray for each other and for our country. They cannot pray deeply, so their relationship is quite superficial. Group members have not worked together in the ministry of the gospel and suffered together, so it is difficult for them to establish a deep relationship.
Group leaders should also have a high-quality fellowship among themselves. If group leaders are not very close, small group ministry would not succeed. Pastoral leaders should strengthen discipleship training. Group leaders are a group of people with the same heart, and each group cannot be too solidified.
“We used to do more than 10 groups. Sometimes, it’s very hard for leaders to lead. During such time, they have to make adjustments and reorganization. For example, a group leader works very hard for members, but members come and go frequently. The leader feels disappointed. At this time, the group needs to readjust. We need to merge the groups, add more leaders and they serve the group together. Previously, we had one person or one couple as a group leader to lead a group, now we have several people lead one group together and they can encourage each other,” D said.
He added, “Because of the pandemic, people’s mentality gets negative. As soon as believers stop gathering and start watching sermon videos at home, they get too lazy to move. The Web is too developed, which makes believers lazy. Everyone is not as enthusiastic as before. This is a problem. People are more and more aware of the importance of in-person gatherings. We pastors should take the lead and set examples for group leaders, otherwise, we cannot do the group well.”
Pastor D honestly reflected, “I myself am a negative example. At first, I assign a competent church staff to organize group leaders and do the preparatory work for the small group. Gradually, I get lazy and have less contact with group leaders. Although he worked hard and even beyond his ability, the result was not good. We thought the work was done, but the result was poor.”
“At that time, I examined myself. Besides teaching, I also need to serve group leaders well. I shouldn’t have let the assistant do the job for me. I need to give group leaders real care, support and teaching, and I should pay the price accordingly. Group leaders and pastors do not only have tasks to do but also need to have a close and trusting relationship in Christ.
- Translated by Charlie Li
编者按：后疫情时代，疫情的管控和环境的变化给基督教会带来的影响尤为深刻，从聚会的形式到质量都发生了不同程度的革新与变化。疫情之前，教会的聚会形式多是以大堂聚会模式为主，但在近三年的疫情处境下，教会不得不由大堂聚会转向小组化的聚会模式。对于那些过去一直做小组化聚会的教会来说，可以比较自然完成转型，但对于没有经验或者经验不足的教会来说，小组化聚会的模式呈现出许多问题。但无论是有经验的，还是没有经验的新手教会，他们都面临着小组化聚会所带来的真实的挑战。（==当summary）
近来，基督时报采访了华南的一位D牧者。D见证了自己教会在转型做小组聚会的过程中，发生在自己身上和小组长、信徒身上的一些问题。
从大堂聚会再到今天的小组聚会，D分享到了一些难处。
第一个是，从大的方面来看，三自教会是没有太多这方面的经验，在这个转型的过程中，在很多操作层面，牧者和小组长就会觉得很难。就好像一个人，过去不是做会计的，现在你让他做会计，他就会很难。做任何事情，都需要有经验的积累，你才会做的得心应手。
第二个是，组长的选拔，那些在教会里热心的信徒不一定适合小组长。他们可能在教会里面，是某一事工的组长。其实带领小组有很多细节的工作，比如跟组员建立关系。有的小组长，人比较粗放，他没有耐心，就很难把小组带领好。
第三个，组长没有经过很好的训练。可能也学过成长班的课程，小组长需要有组长课程，但落实的时候不是那么容易。小组长即便明白了道理，学了知识，但落实就不是同一个事了。
举个例子，在小组里落实彼此守望的事情上，当组长宣布，我们要建立守望伙伴，建立祷告的小组，但实际上，信徒反应很冷淡，小组就很无奈。因为这些信徒对这些问题了解不是很深。我们做牧者去推动一个事工，但是整个落实的过程中，会遇到很多的障碍。信徒没有被带动起来。他只是听到这个事情，他其实是需要看到榜样，他开始参与了，我们如何帮助他克服这障碍呢？
落实是很麻烦的事情。我所在的这个城市，人们的工作和生活都很忙，他们不想投入太多的时间和精力。大家彼此祷告几次，觉得就是那么回事，因此，很多小组的寿命都很短。小组会火一阵子，1-2年的时间，然后越做越衰弱，慢慢的小组就萎缩。
另外一方面，人和人相处久了，有厌倦的模式。彼此祷告，为国家祷告，又没有办法很深入的祷告，所以大家的关系就停留在了表面上。因为组们没有一起在福音的事工同工过，吃过苦，想建立深的关系是很难的。
组长之间也要有高质量的团契，但如果组长本身不是很紧密，是不行的。牧者领袖应该要做好一个工作，那就是加强门徒训练，组长是一个同心的群体，小组不能够太固化。
“我们原来做了10几个小组。有的时候，小组长带小组很辛苦，我这一段时间，我们就要做调整，我要重新的组织。原来一个组长，很努力的做小组，招待大家。小组后面来来走走，觉得做的很失望，这个时候就需要调整了。我们需要把小组合并起来，就不是原来的夫妻两人做组长，派另外的人加入，几个小组长一起服事。 而不是像以往的一个人，或者一队夫妻的模式了。而是可以小组长一起鼓励的走，这样来带小组。”
“再加上疫情，大家的心态很消极，大家一停止聚会，在家里看看视频，大家就懒得动了。网络太发达，把信徒培养的越来越懒惰了。大家没有以前的热心了。这是一个问题。大家就越来越感受到，线下聚会的重要。我们做牧师要带头，组长看到榜样，牧者跟组长打成一片才行。牧师要带头做榜样，不然小组是做不起来的。”
D牧师坦诚地反思到：“拿我自己做个反面的教材来说，一开始我会选比较得力的同工做小组长的组织工作，前期的小组聚会的预备工作都交给他做。在交给他的过程中，我就会偷懒了，我跟小组长的联系越来越少。虽然他也努力做，甚至勉为其难地做，但是效果不好，我们以为工作做了，但是效果就很差。”
"这个时候，我反省自己，我除了教导的工作以外，我还要很好的事奉小组长们。不能让助理代劳，我要对组长有切实的关怀、支持和喂养，并为此付上代价。但组长和牧者不能够只有要做的任务，而是要有在基督里亲密的信任的关系。”
专访｜华南一牧者谈教会带领小组聚会的挑战与反思
Editor’s note: In the post-pandemic era, the pandemic control and the change in the environment have had a profound impact on Christian churches. Meanwhile, innovations and changes have taken place in varying degrees from the form to the quality of gatherings. Before the pandemic, church services were held in the buildings. However, in the last three years under the pandemic, the church had to change from large building gatherings to small group gatherings. For those churches that had already been doing small groups previously, the transformation can be carried out naturally, but for churches inexperienced in this way, the mode of small groups presents many problems. Both experienced and novice churches are faced with the real challenges brought by group gatherings.
Recently, the Christian Times, an online Chinese Christian newspaper, interviewed Pastor D from South China. D witnessed some problems that happened to himself, group leaders and believers during the transformation of his church to the small group mode.
From large building services to today’s small group mode, D talked about difficulties in the process.
The first is that generally, the Three-Self Church does not have much experience in this mode. In the process of the transformation, pastors and group leaders will find it difficult at many operational levels. It is like a person who has not worked as an accountant and is asked to do the job. It will be very difficult for him. Anything you do requires the accumulation of experience. Then, you can do it well.
The second is the selection of group leaders. Those who are enthusiastic in the church are not necessarily suitable for being group leaders. Perhaps they have been a leader of a certain ministry in a church. However, leading a small group requires much attention to detailed work such as building relationships with team members. If they are impatient, it will be difficult to lead the group well.
Third, the team leader is not well trained. They might have attended faith growth courses, but group leaders need to attend leadership courses. Even though they have received leadership training, it’s uneasy to implement what they’ve learned.
For instance, when the group leader announces to set up watch partners and a prayer group, the members react coldly and the group becomes helpless because believers do not know much about these issues. To build up a ministry, pastors will encounter many obstacles during the process of implementation. Believers should be prompted and see examples, only hearing about the thing is not enough for them to participate.
Implementation is very troublesome. In my city, people are busy with work and life, and they do not want to invest too much time and energy in their group. After participating in small group activities and praying for each other several times, group members think that’s all and a small group is nothing more. Therefore, many groups have a short life span. The group will be vibrant for a while, one or two years, and then get weaker and weaker, shrink gradually.
On the other hand, there is a pattern of boredom when people get along with each other for a long time. They pray for each other and for our country. They cannot pray deeply, so their relationship is quite superficial. Group members have not worked together in the ministry of the gospel and suffered together, so it is difficult for them to establish a deep relationship.
Group leaders should also have a high-quality fellowship among themselves. If group leaders are not very close, small group ministry would not succeed. Pastoral leaders should strengthen discipleship training. Group leaders are a group of people with the same heart, and each group cannot be too solidified.
“We used to do more than 10 groups. Sometimes, it’s very hard for leaders to lead. During such time, they have to make adjustments and reorganization. For example, a group leader works very hard for members, but members come and go frequently. The leader feels disappointed. At this time, the group needs to readjust. We need to merge the groups, add more leaders and they serve the group together. Previously, we had one person or one couple as a group leader to lead a group, now we have several people lead one group together and they can encourage each other,” D said.
He added, “Because of the pandemic, people’s mentality gets negative. As soon as believers stop gathering and start watching sermon videos at home, they get too lazy to move. The Web is too developed, which makes believers lazy. Everyone is not as enthusiastic as before. This is a problem. People are more and more aware of the importance of in-person gatherings. We pastors should take the lead and set examples for group leaders, otherwise, we cannot do the group well.”
Pastor D honestly reflected, “I myself am a negative example. At first, I assign a competent church staff to organize group leaders and do the preparatory work for the small group. Gradually, I get lazy and have less contact with group leaders. Although he worked hard and even beyond his ability, the result was not good. We thought the work was done, but the result was poor.”
“At that time, I examined myself. Besides teaching, I also need to serve group leaders well. I shouldn’t have let the assistant do the job for me. I need to give group leaders real care, support and teaching, and I should pay the price accordingly. Group leaders and pastors do not only have tasks to do but also need to have a close and trusting relationship in Christ.
- Translated by Charlie Li
Interview: South China Pastor Talks about Challenges, Reflections of Leading Small Groups
