The Life Group Sunday evening service was a great way to prepare for our groups to become re-energised for the new year. Rowan read from Acts Chapter 1: v1 – 11, drawing our attention to Jesus’ ascension to Heaven in verse 8:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
Rowan explained that as Christians, we must not grow complacent, but rather we should use the power we receive from the Holy Spirit to witness for Jesus whilst we await his return. How we act is so important to those who are not saved, because it not only speaks of us and our character, but also our relationship with God as well as His relationship with us.
But how do we bear witness, and how can we do this within our Life Groups? How can our Life Groups support others in the mission field, and how do we answer this call in a practical way?
For some, the call to mission abroad is strong, and we have a number of full and part time missionaries within the church, but this is not everyone’s gifting. As Life Groups though, we can certainly encourage and support this vital work.
Rowan invited two of our Church missionaries to talk about how they witness, and to understand what would encourage and support them. What was rather unexpected for some was the level of practical needs that they identified to support them and their work.
They urged us to consider:
- Adopting a missionary, i.e. keeping in touch, praying for them and seeking for (and sending) prayer requests and keeping them abreast of what is happening ‘back home’.
- Contacting them through WhatsApp or Zoom calls
- Sending Christmas Cards (in November) for them to open
- Providing book suggestions or telling them what is on TV
- Providing travel to and from the airport
- Doing a food shop when they come home from missionary work
- Inviting them to come alongside your Life Group, even for 1 night
- Providing them with time to recuperate when they are home as they are often emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually drained.
Rowan then interviewed Joanne who recalled her time as a Life Group leader a number of years ago. One of the key focuses of this particular group had been to bear witness, and in this instance, the group felt called to go on prayer walks and carry out acts of kindness.
On their prayer walks, the group would go around their local small village and pray over key places such as the nursery school and park, and whilst some of these locations were no longer functioning, the prayer focused on what they symbolised. Joanne recalled how one prayer walk took them to an abandoned fire station where two men sat on the roof drinking. When they saw the group praying, they came to the edge and asked what they were doing. This opened up the opportunity for them to share their prayer walk and to witness to them. This led the men to ask if they could accompany them the next time they went out.
Joanne also recalled how the local park had been covered in bottles and graffiti, but with the permission and provision of cleaning equipment from the local council, the Life Group tidied it up, providing the opportunity to bond as a group, and created something visual that would become a talking point for their local committee; acts like this can open conversation, and provide the opportunity to witness through deeds.
This, however, was what God had led Joanne and Rowan’s Life Group at that time, and Joanne heeded caution that this might not work for every Life Group. Their witness started with prayer to seek guidance. They needed to listen to where God was sending them and not just blindly go into an area, because that might not have been His will.
Opportunities present themselves all around, including within our own Church. For instance, by taking time to talk to Janice and support the outreach work she is involved in, or adding your Life Group to the tea and coffee rota to support the vital conversations that take part between services, or helping out in Spark over the summer to work in our local neighbourhood etc.
Perhaps as a couple or individual you are being called to lead a Life Group. There has been an increase in the number wishing to join Life Groups but to support this growth we need more Leaders. This role is mainly focused on starting up those conversations and keep the flow of the Life Group going. Rowan described how his own group rotated between 3 households, allowing himself and Joanne to focus on leading.
As a primary source of pastoral care, it is so important that we nurture the relationships forged through our Life Groups because of the close support they provide.
As we look forward to Life Groups starting in the coming weeks, you might be inspired to act on any of these points of action. If so, contact Rowan using rowan.zeelie@highkirk.org.uk or fill out the form on Life Groups – High Kirk Presbyterian Church.