Truth Project Groups

The Truth Project has captured the attention of High Street in a very exciting way. Over the last few weeks on an average we have had well over 500 people meeting in 45 small groups. There have been more than 618 adults attend one or more meetings. This is well over the 300 something that had been attending our regular Sunday evening services. Clearly God is at work here. I want to point out some important observations:

• We have gone from the Sunday Evening routine to a Sunday evening with purpose.
• The Truth Project teaching is well done, thought provoking and many of us are becoming better equipped for ministry.
• One thing that must not be overlooked is that we have tried a new group dynamic and that is the small groups in homes. For those who prefer to meet in small groups at the church, we have 5 groups meeting there. There are 45 facilitators serving.
  
• This paradigm is giving opportunity for more people to be involved in ministry. Each group has been active to take care of their people. We take attendance instantly because as a group leader, I can visualize my living room and I know who was there and who was not. It is easy for me and other leaders to make calls to care for those who are absent.
  
• This plan has allowed us to get to know people who are new to High Street. We are doing a better job of getting to know them and them us. This assimilation of those who are new is very important to growth.
  

Now this new plan is not perfect. There are things that are less convenient for some. We have had to find creative ways to care for the children in the groups. It is not automatic but the exercise has been good for us. I am getting used to the noise coming from the basement and the needed parent trips to check on the kids. There is something good about being with other families and getting to know other people's children.

While discussing this with someone over email he sent me an article that pointed our some very important observations.

• The early church included this house to house format.

Acts 2:46, "So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, ^ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."

• While church buildings are very suited for corporate worship and teaching, they are not designed to encourage fellowship.
  

"Nowhere in the New Testament do we find the terms church (ekklesia), temple, or house of God used to refer to a building.

The church building is far less warm, personal, and friendly than someone’s home – the organic meeting place of early Christians. The church building is not designed for intimacy nor fellowship. In most church buildings, the seating consists of wooden pews bolted to the floor. The pews (another man-made tradition) or chairs are arranged in rows, all facing the pulpit (yet another man-made tradition).

This arrangement makes it nearly impossible for one worshipper to look into the face of another. Instead, it creates a sit-and-soak form of worship that turns functioning Christians into “pew potatoes.” Quote copied from Kit Pharo, Sunday Morning Inspirations

There is much more to for us to learn about this. God is doing something good and we must not ignore this.<sup>


If you are in a Truth Project group and have some stories or comments, I would love to hear from you.</sup>