What do you think small groups should be?

I'm looking for some feedback from you here. Any and all of you... so if you get a few minutes, think and pray about this and leave a comment...

This is something I've been praying about for a while now... Naomi and I are about to become the '20-something' small group leaders at our church. The church we attend, Connexion Church, is a new church plant that's only a few months old. This past week was the kickoff for our 'Connexion Groups,' and our group actually starts on the 11th. Since they're a new church, there's no established format for what small groups 'should' be. Naomi and I have talked with Pastor Joe on a few different occasions about what his and our vision for a small group is, and we've prayed about it a lot too. Here's my questions for you:

- Should small groups be Bible-study centered, or community centered?
- If they should be Bible-study centered, then what opportunities are there in a church for Christians to fellowship with and pray for each other, 'hang out', be accountable, spend time investing in each other's lives? Should these things be tacked on to the end of a Bible study each week? Every small group I've been to has made fifteen minutes or so for these things at the end of the time together when people are rushed to get back home to the kids, homework, etc. Do we just designate one day a month to be 'fellowship night?' Is that enough?
- We get Bible teaching on Sunday from the pastor, who spends a significant amount of time each week in preparing and praying over his message. Can a small group leader who has to coordinate who's bringing the snacks this week, how to get the kids fed and in bed before everyone comes over, and has been at work all day until 20 minutes before small group starts be an effective 'preacher?'

- If small groups are community-centered, where can we go for a group Bible study between Sundays? Most churches don't even have Sunday night services anymore, let alone the Wednesday night services that I grew up with as a kid. This is something I've hungered for for many years. I need that boost of being in God's house in the middle of the week. The small groups I've been in, even the Bible-study centered ones, haven't really fulfilled this desire. They invariably fall either on the side of a group opinion-fest about a particular passage of the Word, with no direction and not much learning, or on the side of some well-meaning but under-prepared individual reading from the three pages of notes he wrote at lunch that day.

I do know that some people have amazingly awesome small groups. Everything I've heard about the small group my sister and brother-in-law lead has been incredible. Lots of spiritual growth, lots of fellowship between believers, lots of building and actively developing relationships with God and with others, which is the ideal of a small group. But I think groups like that are rare.

So what are your opinions? What is the balance? I'd love to hear what you think. Thanks in advance for your input.

Awakening

Check it out. Our church and hundreds of others around the world participating in this for the last two weeks. What a powerful way to start out the new year, fasting and praying for God's will to be done in the church. There's five days left, and even if your church isn't officially participating, you still can. Juice fast, 'Daniel fast', fast from TV or Facebook or junk food... whatever God calls you to. Even if you don't fast, spend some time with us this next week praying for the leadership of your own church, for the leadership of your country, and for the awakening of God's people throughout the world. Stop 'being a Christian' and start living like you are one of God's chosen people!
This is the first time I've ever participated in an extended (more than a day) fast, and I have seen over and over in the last two weeks the incredible power of our Almighty God when His people earnestly seek His face. In my life, in my relationship with Naomi, and across the world in the testimonies people are sharing on the website. I don't know how I missed out on this for so many years. God is so amazing. I am so in love with Him.

3AM Friday morning

It's 3AM on Friday, and instead of being snuggled up next to my wife for another two hours, I'm sitting here in the office because I can't sleep. God's been changing things in my life over the last two weeks. He's been convicting me about being too comfortable with the way my life has been going. He's shown me all the earthly things that I take joy in while I sacrifice the joy I could be sharing with Him through a deeper relationship with Christ. It's been an unsettling time.

A few weeks ago I prayed that He would keep my life from being easy, knowing that I get complacent when I feel like I 'have things under control.' Well, the last two weeks definitely haven't been easy, and another difficult one is coming up, and despite what I might be feeling now, I'm grateful for it. Thank You, God for an uncomfortable life and for Your hand at work to change me to become ever more like You.

Still alive...

Well, I am still alive. The wedding went fantastically well, for those of you who weren't able to make it. God worked so many things out, and I think the wedding was very glorifying to Him. The ceremony was fairly short... less than 30 minutes. Then the reception, and then we left. It was beautiful, Naomi was happy, and the guests (I think) enjoyed it. We had two nights at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, NC and then back up here for school which started this morning. Our 'real' honeymoon isn't until Christmas break in December, but Naomi and I both thought that it worked out really well this way anyway. The honeymoon was great, but it seemed sort of unreal in the sense that we were just hanging out in someplace new and different. Coming back to Raleigh and moving into the apartment was great. It made the marriage finally seem permanent. :)

I'll write more later, but it will probably be sporadic for a while until we get things settled around here.

Marriage is great! My wife rocks!!!!!!!!!!! Thank You, God!!

Things are starting to get a bit hectic... days 4 and 3

Yep, I missed another day. My internet was down last night, which was probably a good thing, 'cause it meant I went to bed early. I needed the sleep.

Three more days! Wow! Incredible how fast this week is going by! God, thank You that everything is falling in to place so smoothly. Thank You for caring about all the details of our lives, thank You that nothing takes You by surprise, thank You for the grace you show us when we mess up and get off track sometimes, thank You for such a wonderful, loving, supportive family who has been doing so much for Naomi and I during the last weeks and months and years, thank You for the gift of Your love for us, even more than we can ever truly understand. Thank You!

Tomorrow is my last day of school for the week, and I'll head down to Waxhaw in the evening. Friday lots of people start showing up for the wedding, and we have the rehearsal at 2:00, followed by a rehearsal dinner and hanging out with people we normally don't get to see. And then the big day!!! I'm so incredibly excited! Not as nervous as I thought, but that will probably come soon enough.

Again, I'm sorry that these posts haven't been up to par with other weeks. I am too busy/excited to really sit down and write much. God has been teaching me (us) lots and lots of stuff, though, and I hope I can remember most of it to write about after things settle down a bit. Despite the difficulties and sadness of the last week, we still praise Him for being a sovereign God. Despite the hard times, it is still such a delight to serve Him and seek to follow His will in everything.

Thanks for praying for us!