Small groups…
Marky wrote about small groups on his blog recently (Voiced Thoughts in the Blogroll list on the right). My own experience of small groups varies from church groups like the group Mark was writing about, but I think the period that small groups affected my life the most was while I was an undergraduate at university…
My experience of small groups at uni was a little more wide ranging than most perhaps. I was living in Queen’s Elms in first year so I went to Halls Group that year, the next year I helped out leading the group, so I was in it a second year. At first I went to an English dept small group because I had friends there and they were encouraging me to go along to a small group aside from the halls one… But I switched over to the Engineering group in the Ashby a little later. It was through the engineering group that I met Mark who spoke at my commissioning, Budgie who commented on the last post there and a whole bunch of other folk. But there’s more! Between second and third year in my degree it was required to take a year of professional experience. This interupted small group attendance for most, but Ben (Later of SU Presidential fame) lead a small group for those on their year out working. It was all guys, but we had an awesome year, heightened by the lack of CU attendance and department groups and so on due to work, meeting later than normal and discussing how things were relevant to working life rather than student life was probably one of the most benefitial years I had in small groups… Then more recently, while I was at Union I attended a small group at my home church, this was very different to the previous groups as people were from all kinds of backgrounds; nurses, drivers, designers, programmer-cum-theologians, missionaries to the Philippines… And again it was great!
So now I am pining for small groups! There is a reason for this though…
Irene approached me a while ago asking if I’d be willing to partner up with a small group from Queen’s University, the small groups were going to partner with missionaries and pray for them etc through the year. So tonight I went and met the group who got (landed with) me! The group is Steve and Sam’s medical small group (as in medical students) and is part of the CU at Queens. The meeting tonight was great, there was, of course, a time of bible study, time to spend together and chat (with unpaid for coffee…), time for prayer and all in the kind of relaxed attitude I remember of small groups! It’s a time when bible study mingles with banter, when fellowship mingles with accountibility, when prayer mingles with honest concern and love for those you are praying with. It is an excellent small group with great members, pulling together Christians and making it a quality time. It’s great to have been able to meet them, and it’s great to know they will be partnering with me in prayer as I head off. Thanks guys!
So yeah, now I’m pining for small group ministry. I can’t wait to see what God will make me part of out in Japan! 
