What is a Spiritual Life Group
and How Does it Function?
2/05/02
Several have asked about spiritual life groups (SLG). What follows is a definition and description of how they work. The presupposition behind what I have written is that a congregation has already worked through The Jesus Connection and Reclaiming Evangelism and is now poised to begin a sabbatical year. The importance of this prior work cannot be overstated. Spiritual life groups form the content of the sabbatical year. If they are attempted apart from commitment to the entire Jesus Connection process, they are likely to become another small group experience that has little lasting value. This is because spiritual life groups are not ends in themselves. They are means to an end, that end being the formation of ministry groups that become the heart and soul of the new wineskin that replaces the old.
With this in mind, let me try to answer the question, "What is a spiritual life group and how does it function?" It helps to know first of all what it is not. It is not an interpersonal relations group in which people are expected to pour out their souls before the group. It is not a study group, though study is a part of it. It is not a prayer group, though prayer is also a part of it. What is a spiritual life group, then? It is a short term small group gathered for the specific purpose of learning a particular aspect of Christian living that is essential for one's continuing spiritual growth and development. Let me explain this statement in detail.
"Short term" means that a SLG is not a group whose life seems to have no end. The average length is between six and eight weeks, depending upon the subject matter being explored. While the specific length of the group's life must be flexible, that the group has a definite beginning and end is not. The "long term" aspect of a SLG lies in the fact that it serves to prepare people for involvement in ministry groups (see below) whose life span can be ongoing.
The group is "small" because too many people make the way the group functions cumbersome. Again, somewhere between six and eight is ideal. Three or four can work fine. More than eight is too many. One of the reasons for the small size is the need to share what is called a spiritual autobiography. This is a time of sharing with the group the persons, churches, events, and experiences that have had a significant impact on one's personal growth and development as a Christian. It is a story of the highlights that have led us to this point in our spiritual journey. Because of the issue of time, the teller needs to give some thought ahead of time to what will be shared in order to get it down to manageable size (fifteen minutes is more than enough). We do not try to tell everything, only what stands out among many things we could talk about. Equally important is the fact that we tell only what we choose to share. No questions are asked. No further details are sought. We control how much of our story we share. Experience has shown again and again that this is a marvelously bonding experience for the group. Imagine the power this could have in a church if over time everyone got to hear everyone else's spiritual autobiography!
The format of a meeting is straight forward: (1) Five minutes of silence to begin the meeting; (2) group worship, perhaps 10 minutes, and certainly more than simply the perfunctory opening prayer; (3) discussion of the subject being explored; (4) the sharing of one or two spiritual autobiographies; (5) closing prayer circle. The mood needs to be relaxed. Spiritual life groups are not agenda driven. A straight line is not the only road to achieving a desired destination.
Optimum meeting time is an hour and a half, but no more than two hours. Care needs to be taken to begin and end on time. When the six or eight weeks is up, the group's life together should be celebrated and declared at an end. This helps people learn the value of beginnings and endings.
Leadership is an important issue when it comes to spiritual life groups. My suggestion is for clergy to lead the first ones so people can get some sense of how a spiritual life group functions. Old habits die hard, and inexperienced leaders can unconsciously lead a spiritual life group into a format and mood that works against the intended purpose. The leader's role is primarily one of keeping things flowing, especially in regard to the discussion of the topic being explored. Others can also share in leadership through the leading of worship and, of course, spiritual autobiographies.
Some resources for spiritual life groups are: Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline; James Bryan Smith and Richard Foster's A Spiritual Formarion Workbook, Henri Nouwen's Reaching Out, Out of Solitude, Clowning In Rome, and With Open Hands; Bill Paulsell's Taste and See and Rules For Prayer; my book, Living Inside Out; for augmenting a study of the laity's call to ministry see Elton Trueblood's classics, The Company of the Committed and The Incendiary Fellowship; on spiritual gifts the material we have made available written by Rev. Paul Smith can be quite helpful. DO NOT NEGLECT using biblical stories as a basis for any of these studies. People need to realize that what we are doing is grounded in scripture. We will update resources regularly. You may have some to suggest as well.
As already indicated, spiritual life groups are preparation for participation in a ministry group. In fact, one way to think about a ministry group is that it is a spiritual life group gathered around a specific ministry. Thus, ministry groups meet not only to discuss how to accomplish the ministry but to provide spiritual nurture for the members. Together spiritual life groups and ministry groups represent a significant departure from traditional committees that dominate church life today. As such they offer real potential for lay people hearing a call, discovering their gifts, and experiencing the deep joy of both faith and ministry.
Blessings,
Jan G. Linn - Spirit of Joy Christian Church, Apple Valley, MN
