Comments on: House Church, Pt. 2 – vs. Small Groups http://www.derekmooney.com/2006/08/house-church-pt-2-vs-small-groups/ derekmooney.com Tue, 12 Apr 2011 02:11:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Derek http://www.derekmooney.com/2006/08/house-church-pt-2-vs-small-groups/comment-page-1/#comment-97 Derek Fri, 01 Feb 2008 02:48:00 +0000 http://localhost/?p=104#comment-97 There are usually differing levels of intimacy. Usually the most intimate "baring your soul" issues are reserved for the one or two people you're closest to. If this is the case, two or three people can go off with someone who needs more "private prayer" without interrupting the gathering (or it can happen afterward).<br/><br/>But the church is strongest when we are most willing to bare our souls to outsiders. When they see our struggles, our reliance upon Christ, and see how the church loves each other despite our weaknesses and helps to strengthen each other, they see Christ at work. There are usually differing levels of intimacy. Usually the most intimate “baring your soul” issues are reserved for the one or two people you’re closest to. If this is the case, two or three people can go off with someone who needs more “private prayer” without interrupting the gathering (or it can happen afterward).

But the church is strongest when we are most willing to bare our souls to outsiders. When they see our struggles, our reliance upon Christ, and see how the church loves each other despite our weaknesses and helps to strengthen each other, they see Christ at work.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.derekmooney.com/2006/08/house-church-pt-2-vs-small-groups/comment-page-1/#comment-96 Anonymous Thu, 31 Jan 2008 04:05:00 +0000 http://localhost/?p=104#comment-96 I wanted to plumb your experience here, as I find it difficult to bring people to our lifegroup meetings because of how personal they can be. How do you bridge the gap between being open to new people and baring your soul to the public? Say someone needs prayer for a private thing, do you shut out the new people for a bit until it's done? I can't imagine doing that, but how else do you create the security of a private place? I wanted to plumb your experience here, as I find it difficult to bring people to our lifegroup meetings because of how personal they can be. How do you bridge the gap between being open to new people and baring your soul to the public? Say someone needs prayer for a private thing, do you shut out the new people for a bit until it’s done? I can’t imagine doing that, but how else do you create the security of a private place?

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