Chapter 5 A growth Group Solution
5.10 The need to grow spiritually - as individuals and as church
Some of the exercises suggested previously can be used to help the Young Adults grow spiritually, such as the encouragement to engage in quiet times in the morning, or the assigning of prayer or care partners. In order to foster spiritual growth, the group needs a spiritual atmosphere. One way of helping to achieve this is to have meetings inside the church, as opposed to any other rooms in the church complex. It is also important to start and end the meetings with prayer.
In order to grow spiritually, it is vital to read and study the Bible (see Livingbythe Book by Hendricks and Hendricks). For example, a certain book of the Bible can be selected and studied in the group together. Members can be asked to read passages at home, and this will encourage them to read their Bible. Even though it is important to know about the historical background, and see the Bible from an academic perspective, spiritual growth happens when one is open to God's word. Thus all members should be able to feel free to share their personal experiences with what they have read. Members can also be encouraged to keep a spiritual journal, in which they can record spiritual experiences (see How to Keep a Spiritual Journal by Ronald Klug). Through this, they will be able to deepen their relationship with God and grow spiritually.
Learning more about God and learning how to hear God is a process that requires committed and consistent reading of the Bible, prayer and openness to God. Although most of this is the responsibility of the individual, it can be encouraged in the meetings of the young adults. This is again an important task that the accountability and prayer partners can fulfil by encouraging each other to pray, and read the Bible. It might also be useful, at the beginning of each meeting, to allow for an opportunity for the members to share their experiences with God during the week. This could include positive experiences, or prayers that God has answered, or, alternatively, it could be negative, frustrating experiences, such as not knowing God's will.
Prayer can be explored by examining what the Bible says about it (lames 5: 16), or discussing members' personal experiences with it. Also consult Praying with Power edited by Bishop Joe Aldred, Prayer from Alexander to Constantine edited by Mark Kiley et aL, Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster, and Andrew Murray on Prayer by Andrew Murray. A useful idea is to have a prayer list, and each member can record, every week, what he or she is praying for. Apart from these forming part of the prayers said during the meeting, members will be asked to remember the needs of the others in their prayers during the week. In the following meeting, these prayers can be followed up on, in order to see how God has answered these prayers. This will not only help members to feel more cared for and accepted within the group, but together members will be able to see how God works in their lives, and thus grow spiritually.
Growing spiritually involves learning more about God through Bible study and prayer, and fellowship with other Christians. However, aimlessly reading Scripture may not achieve much. Spiritual growth can be effectively achieved if specific themes are addressed in a logical order. For example, the Young Adults Group could follow themes of the church year, focusing on events such as Lent through to Easter, or Advent through to Christmas. Or, the group could focus on Jesus, His life and His death (see Who is Jesus? by John Tooke). Instead of this, specific themes can be chosen, for example, finding a spiritual home, spiritual discipline - Bible study and prayer, caring for your body, the daily challenge of time, making sense of money, loving yourself, forgiveness, and exploring images of God (See With Heart and Mind and Soul by Neinast and Ettinger). Other themes could include getting to know yourself, building self-esteem and discovering your gifts. There are numerous themes that could be addressed within the Young Adults Group. Examples of possible activity plans are given at the end of this chapter.
Not only is there a need for the young adults to grow spiritually as individuals, but also as a church. As the Young Adults Group does not have much influence over the rest of the congregation, this spiritual growth can start within the group, amongst the young adults.
The Young Adults can pray together for God's guidance for the group - where it should
be going and how they should be doing God's work. Apart from that, members can also collectively pray for the church and congregation, that they will be open to God, and His guidance in the life of the congregation and its members.
5. 11 The need for a spiritual outlet and expression of one's spirituality
The expression of one's spirituality is often viewed as an activity that is completed individually - a very personal activity that is between the human being and God.
Members of the Young Adults Group should be encouraged to express their spirituality in the way that is most meaningful to them. Members will naturally have different ways of expressing their spirituality, and thus the sharing of these ideas with each other can be useful and meaningful. Some members might be inclined to be more meditative and contemplative, while others would rather express themselves more verbally and visually though dancing and singing.
Members can be asked to demonstrate or speak about their unique way of expressing their spirituality. This could help other members to appreciate different forms of spiritual expression, and come to understand which form is most suited to them. The Young Adults Group should provide a platform where young adults are able to express their spirituality in the way that they want to, and be supported in this. For example, different ways of praying can be explored in meetings. See Contemplative Prayer by Thomas Merton, Contemplative Prayer by Rev. Alan Placa, Experiments in Prayer by Peter Coleman, The Way in Praying: Exercises in Meditation, Intercession and Worship by Anonymous author, and Praying with Icons by Jim Forest.
For example, worship services can be held in the Young Adults meetings once a month and these services can be organised by different members of the group. This will give all members the opportunity to worship in the way that they find most meaningful. Songs can be sung, music listened to, poems read, or paintings meditated on. For example, members could use the theme of dying to oneself as a theme for the service. This could
be accompanied by the reading of a suitable story23. It is often impossible to accommodate all members' differing modes of spiritual expression, and thus it is important to give individual members the chance to organise this event. All members will thus have the opportunity to worship together as a group. Members could also arrange to meet at a Sunday service and worship together as a group.