Small Groups & Ministry

I recently attended a training session for small group ministry (they called it 'leadership' but wrong concept...its ministry: service).

The session touched on some biblical material...mainly about diligence in action, and it had a little of a Brookfieldian flavour, but was fairly mechanical, I thought.

In the time available it was possibly helpful for those who were new to small group ministry, but the big omission was the theological basis for meeting in small groups. There is one, and it is about the community together in mutual service; it is also about reading and talking together about the Word of God. None of this, or the theological outcomes were mentioned.

There was far more that could have been done from the perspective of using discussion as a means of teaching. Brookfield has some material on this (more articles here). The  only problem is that lead by the Holy Spirit, discussion can go places that aren't lined up with where some remote author of study material thinks it should go...dangerous for authors who think they know where it should go!

In that connection, Jack Mezirow's Transformative Learning is worth some consideration.

American Culture to Blame

An op-ed piece in the NYT by David Firestone "Is American  Culture to Blame for Failing Schools" caught my attention with this view reported:

Canadians’ acceptance and indeed pride in their more egalitarian society contrast with Americans’ acceptance of having an underclass,” wrote Blair P., of Palm Desert, Calif. “It’s an Ayn Rand philosophy.

This hints at something that may lie beneath the weird non-biblical theology of 'leadership' that emanates from US conservative protestantism. That is, that there are 'them' and 'us' in US society. Some people born to be an underclass, and the clever ones born to 'lead'. An aristocracy as repugnant as any in Europe and the Roman church (with its fond memories of the Roman Empire).

But the Holy Spirit teaches us differently, and opposes such hierarchy as much as the early church lived out this (in a good sense) anarchism where slaves and owners were together the people of God.

In fact, the NT has little time for the powerful, and much time for the poor, the oppressed and the disadvantaged.

Blow your head off!

A very encouraging article, on Think Theology spoiled by some 'blow your head off' hubris.

I liked this comment:

Kenny, you say "who (2) is leading a church that is comprised of 50% female humans". I don't think you are 'leading' a church. You are serving one, along with all the other ministers in the church. It is the Holy Spirit who is leading.

The central concept of Christian ministry is just that: ministry! That is, service to others, service to the church, the body of Christ, service to our Lord himself, service to the broader community of and outside the faith.

Once we import the modern glam of 'leadership' we aren't talking church...the body of Christ...we are talking king pins and underlings. We are talking one active agent and a passive, 'just tell me what to do, believe and think' bunch of sermon admirers. Nothing like the conception of the church in the NT, and nothing like the Christ, who came to serve.

The language about and conceptualisation of Christian community in the NT generally and by Paul particularly is just that; community, living growing and serving together. Henry Mintzberg nicely calls it 'communityship'.

End note

The word translated 'lead/leader' in Paul's writings is subject of  range of nuances that do not come into the modern English (particularly USA 'popular business') usage of 'leadership'.

This discussion of 'proistemi' (the Greek translated as 'lead') is useful, I think, but insufficiently radically aligned with the scriptures and opposed to the worldly usage that  has flooded the church.