WHY SMALL GROUPS MUST BE "R" RATED

The three most important words in small group multiplication is RELATIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP. There are plenty of "R" words that we don't want small groups to be about...like...ritual, religious, rules, and repetitious. People are in life transition about this time of season with school starting back up, church shoppers hunting for new ones, new jobs, new neighbors, and other transitions taking place like crazy. So, it is naturally a great time to reflect on Jesus as a leader, and use His example of multiplication. Jesus was about hanging with people. Inviting them for water, or offering a friendly talk to those no one else would even consider talking with. The heartbeat of God is relationship. God is about covenant...and that spells relationship. Yes, the people who we see as faith heroes in the Bible did incredible things like kill lions, knock down walls, and won battles. However, they were all about relationship and were heroes because their faith spilled over with "R"elationship. We have to be careful that the "program" doesn't become relationship, we need to become relationship. As we dive into small groups this Fall, we need to think about relationship. We will multiply as we get out and build relationship with people, new, old, and everywhere in the middle. The vision of small groups is simplified into one-word: MULTIPLICATION. To initiate this, we must get out and be about relationship. In the housing market the phrase is "location, location, location". In small group life it is "relationship, relationship, relationship." Go introduce yourself to someone and talk to them. This is how LIFE happens, this is how TRANSFORMATION starts. For small groups to grow, we must be "R" rated.