I fully agree with Jeff S. that leadership must be ready and willing to
allow and even encourage groups of people to develop relationships in the
church.

I would remark on two aspects of this.

First, it is important that we remember that leadership is not merely to sit
quietly, waiting for the sheep to lead themselves. I am often on the
opposite side of people who are pushing "reforms" and "programs" that are
supposed to "fix" the church and "give it life." I think most such things
are a vanity.

However, shepherds care for sheep, they do not merely watch while sheep care
for themselves. It is important for leadership to do positive, active things
that promote the health of the church. We should not do foolish things or
things that are fleshly or counterproductive to our true purpose of
fostering spiritual maturity, but this does not mean we do nothing.

In this regard, we can also consider that Christ sometimes used agricultural
imagery of the church. The church "grows" by its nature, just as crops do,
but we are also called to tend the church in its growth. We are not to sit
by and ignore the little foxes that spoil the vine nor to let the church
wither for lack of water (the Spirit) and food (the Word). We should be
encouraging, modeling, preaching, and expecting relationships to develop
among our people.

Second, there is a natural, dangerous suspicion that often accompanies
"small groups" that develop naturally. I refer not to a suspicion within the
group, but a suspicion that often arises in pastors and church leaders who
are not in the group. There can be great fear of "what might happen" when
church members get together privately and begin to share their thoughts and
fears and hopes and disappointments. I have seen pastors who, on the one
hand, urge "fellowship" while, on the other hand, condemning anyone who
"talks behind my back." Too often, you see pastors feeling threatened when
strong Christians begin to exercise their gifts and people respond to those
gifts. Pastors often see such men as threats to the ministry the pastor is
carrying on, a danger to be avoided. I have even known churches where
pastors made a "rule" that no one could "talk about the pastor or the
sermon" except in his presence. In such a climate of suspicion, no true
fellowship can grow. I believe this is one reason that I have seen several
pastors institute tightly controlled "small group" plans in a church in such
a way that it stifles or destroys the natural relationships that already
were developing.

There is a cultural and theological fear of "cliques" and it is hard
sometimes for a pastor or other leaders to know when a naturally evolving
small group is healthy and when it is harmful. But if the pastor does not
trust his people when they are out of his sight, then what message is he
sending them? Too often, such a man will use his position to stifle
naturally occurring "small groups" and to micromanage the formal small
groups that he institutes.

To allow the church to grow naturally, we must not only be willing to permit
people to develop relationships, but we must encourage them to do so, even
if it makes us a little nervous.

James W. Allen
jallen@...