Over the last few weeks I've been drawing small group principles from one of my new favorite books, The Power of 2: How to make the Most of Your Partnerships at Work and in Life. In chapter two Rodd Wagner and Gale Muller discuss how important it is for successful partnerships to share a common mission. The authors explain that relationships often gel around shared common goals, purpose, and mission. It makes sense, doesn't it? Think about your group experiences. If you pursue a shared goal with the other people in your group it will draw you closer.
Usually when we use the term "missional" small groups we mean that they do something to serve others. That's not necessarily what Wagner and Muller are saying. For a small group the common mission might be to learn a new piece of truth, like biblical stewardship or Christian marriage for example. The mission might be to build relationships and forge friendships.
However, a healthy group doesn't have to share common MOTIVES for the goal. "Successful partners often have different motivations for making the climb." The authors claim. Let's say the goal is to learn to handle money more wisely. One person in the group might share that goal but be motived because he is facing a personal financial challenges. Another person might share that goal but she is motivated by a desire to learn some new information (because she is a knowledge junkie). And still another person shares the goal but he is motived by a desire to walk in complete obedience to Christ and this will help him get there. All are different motives but all share the same goal. So don't worry about the various motives represented in your group. Instead, think about the goal(s)!
So here's some questions for your group to discuss:
- What's our goal?
- What's our purpose?
- What's our mission?
Comments