This month's gathering marked a turn from our focus on Growth Groups toward how we can cultivate growth in all the ministry plans we've been setting up this summer.
Our conversation was based on 1 Corinthians 3:6 "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth." Paul describes two different important but distinct phases in cultivating what God grows: Planting and watering.
Leader Lunch allowed us time to process together all the "seeds" that have been planted and discuss how we can "water" them.
Here were the questions we asked along with a digest of answers that were shared.
What We Planted
What's new in your group or ministry this fall that wasn't there before? Be specific...
Everyone in the room could identify where new seeds had been planted over the summer. This summer has been a summer of significant growth with new volunteers and changes across every ministry.
Here were some specific categories leaders in the room shared:
New curriculum (Specifically in Kids ministry)
New babies (Lots of new babies)
New families
New volunteers
New visitors consistently
New structure (same ingredients but new arrangement in Youth ministry)
New spaces (in youth and kids ministry)
New relationships (in Growth groups)
New leaders (across ministries)
New concepts
New vision
New participants
New disciples
New expectations
New intentionality
*What decision was "planted" in your ministry? What makes it vulnerable like a little seed in the ground?
Who's a "seed" right now, someone new to faith, new to your group, or new to leading, who just went in the ground?
We went around the room and shared in more detail all the new people and new plans that have been planted. Some shared seeds planted with Growth Groups launching with new leaders, a new shepherding infrastructure, and new formats for the group time. Both Kids and Youth ministry started the fall with new volunteers and program changes. Re:gen kicked off as well with a new strategy hosted on a new night.
What We are Watering
What makes "watering" distinct from "planting?"
Some distinct characteristics that were shared were:
- The goal in watering is to keep it alive.
- Watering is ongoing, requires consistency, daily attention
Knowing we all appreciate some alliteration Susan shared "Pouring vs Putting."
How does the "seed" you identified previously need to be watered? What does a commitment to "watering" look like, while trusting God gives growth?
Knowing watering would be important we discussed how those distinct characteristics would apply to our individual ministry contexts. A range of answers were provided but there was a consensus in being intentional to:
- Evaluate along the way.
- Evaluate changes in ministry
- Check in on how new people are doing to make sure they are equipped.
- Be humble (God's wisdom, guidance, and heart to serve come from a place of humility)
What are the biggest obstacles you face when it comes to the commitment to regularly "watering?"
Two obstacles consistently came to the surface as we shared. Time and the "unknown."
Time was expressed as an obstacle in different ways. Some shared finding time, or committing the time it takes to water well was difficult. Others expressed that waiting on the Lord was challenging. With limited time and resources serving priorities requires patience when not everything can happen at once.
The "unknown" that comes with diligently watering was also shared. Seeds planted in the form of new plans and new people put in new positions generates new "unknowns." The encouragement here is to continue to walk by faith and not sight () trusting God's got the big picture when we only have the next step in front of us.
Taking some time to reflect on all the growth God has given just in the recent months was a helpful reminder his word is true we are "co-laborers in His field ()." Keep planting. Keep watering. God is certainly giving the growth.
