The 5-percent principle
December 7, 2010
|
How do we close the life of a group?
Closing a group should include a time of remembrance:
- Sharing memories of the group’s life, both times of joy and times of sorrow.
- Expressing hopes that each member has for the others. This might include writing notes to each other on cards, as well as lifting prayers for each other.
- Worshipping together, perhaps with communion.
As the lives of members change, peer learning communities adjust. Pastors leave and new pastors arrive. Communities change. Children are born. Marriages become strained. Tuitions come due. When a critical mass of its members experience transition, a peer learning community may lose momentum. The more often a community meets, the more likely it is to be affected by transitions.
At least annually, a peer learning group assesses the life of the group and determines what needs to remain the same and what needs to change. The group will decide to close at some point. Ending the group does not mean the end of relationships, but it does acknowledge that regular gatherings and structured learning will end.
Closing a group is an opportunity to bless the members and send one another forth in the power of God’s spirit. A prayer of blessing and a symbol that serves as a touchstone of encouragement can be powerful elements in the closure.
