Calvin Synod Herald, 2010 (111. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2010-03-01 / 3-4. szám

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CALVIN SYNOD HERALD

(Donahue 1996, 2002, 179; Donahue and Robinson 2001, 172)

In our Reformed congregations we often struggle with practicing these core values. These values, however, need to be examined and practiced by both the clergy and the Consistory in order to build the church of Jesus Christ effectively.

The Importance of Lay Led Ministry in Our Churches

Lay leaders or lay ministers help pastors fulfill several important roles in the congregation:

1. They are evangelists. It has been my experience that trained lay leaders can be more effective than clergy in reaching others for Christ. This is basically because they are more available than pastors. They can obviously reach more people, such as family members, neighbors, and co-workers than pastors would be ever to able to reach, (see Matt. 28:18-20)

2. They are effective relationship-builders. This is like a pyramid. As I mentioned earlier, the pastor himself cannot reach as many people as some lay leaders. But properly trained lay ministers will multiply the effectiveness of relationship building. That can obviously lead to church growth.

In addition to this, in my experience, whenever I went to a gathering or a party, and I began to talk to the participants there, I felt that the atmosphere of the conversation immediately changed after I told them what my “job” was. People talked to me differently when they discovered I was a pastor. Therefore, getting to know and build fruitful relationships with others can be much easier for trained lay leaders because they are at the same level with other people, (see 2 Pet. 1:5-7)

3. They are shepherds. Trained lay leaders can be effective in caring for people in the ministries they lead, for the reasons mentioned above, (see Acts 20:28)

4. They are servants. Trained lay leaders are partnering with the pastors as servant leaders, (see Matt. 20:25-28) This partnering of lay leaders with pastors should not create suspicion that they want to gain authority and power over the pastor. If the right relationship is nurtured and developed between the pastor and the lay leaders, their ministry will be a blessing for everybody.

The Major Purposes of Lay Led Ministries in a Small Group Setting

Why is lay led ministry in a small group setting important and why should it be practiced in our Reformed congregations? In order to answer this question we need to examine the purpose of lay led ministry in a small group setting. There are at least five purposes.

The first is meeting. Meeting with Christ and meeting with other Christians, church members and guests, in a small group setting. It basically means relationship building. In the small group setting we can help each other grow spiritually while our relationships get also grow stronger.

The second purpose of a small group is evangelism. We want to reach people, especially those who do not yet know Christ. I found a great method that we could use at our small group meetings. It is called the “open chair.” At the small group meetings the symbol of an open chair reminds the whole group

that that chair is empty, therefore we would like it to be filled with new members who do not yet know Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord. “The open chair is an evidence that the group is willing to receive new people without explanation or apology. It represents a permission that anyone in the group may bring a friend” (George 1997, 120).

The third is discipling. The majority of our members do not really know about the importance of discipleship. In a ministry in a small group setting, however, pastors and lay leaders are more effective in discipling others.

The fourth is shepherding. As we discussed earlier, it is not possible for one pastor to take care of everybody. So we need other helpers and partners in the ministry in order to meet the needs of our members. Ministry in a small group setting is an effective method to care for our people.

And the fifth purpose of a small group is service. Small groups provide a great opportunity for lay people to use their spiritual gifts and talents and to be involved in meaningful service to one another.

Lay leadership training for small group ministry, and the small group itself, are essential parts in the life of a church. In my experience, when we expand the care capacity of the congregation by raising up new and trained lay leaders, the ministries of the church will be more effective. If the pastor shares his or her ministry with presbyters and lay members, including the home group or small group leaders, the life of the congregation becomes spiritually stronger and healthier. Small groups would help our Reformed congregations build more flourishing and fruitful fellowship and ministry, to the glory of God and for the blessing of our church members.

Rev. Dr. Csaba G. Krasznai

REFERENCES: Donahue, Bill and Russ Robinson. 2001. Building a Church of Small Groups. Grand Rapids: Zondervan; Donahue, Bill. 1996, 2002. Leading Life-Changing Small Groups. Grand Rapids: Zondervan; Butosi, John. Personal correspondence; George, Carl F. 1997. Nine Keys to Effective Small Group Leadership. Mansfield, Pennsylvania: Kingdom Publishing; Powell, Brad. 2009. Focus on the People. Outreach Magazine July/August.

Pastor Election at Johnstown-Windber