September 2004 letter to small group leaders

from Bill Christensen, Small Groups Pastor

Greetings! I hope that you are doing well. Please be sure to mark your calendars for October 15-16 for our Annual Leaders Retreat. It's Friday, October 15 from 7:00-9:00 pm (dinner -a nice one - included) and Saturday the 16th from 9:00-12:00. You'll be getting an invitation soon.

Just recently the Lord has encouraged me in my quiet time from 2 Corinthians and I wanted pass it along to you.

2 Corinthians 1:3-11 gives us a perspective through which we can view distress and difficulties. This is particularly relevant for us as leaders of small group communities. Why? Because those in our group look to us for a sense of hope to be able to live out their lives in Christ. People look for men and women who model the truth of what they believe. In our peaks and valleys, our more memorable and forgettable moments, people want to see the relevance, hope and encouragement we find in Jesus. And in so doing, they find hope too.

But that's a tall order, isn't it? Paul shows us how we can walk this out.

First Paul tells us that there's purpose in our distress. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows." (3-5) The Lord in His great compassion and love comforts you in your troubles for a purpose - so that you can then comfort others with the same comfort He gives you.

None of the struggles of life we face are pointless. Some come as a result of our sin. Some by sharing the sufferings of Jesus. We will always be comforted as Christians - Always! - sometimes by miraculous kingdom-come-now means, sometimes with His presence amidst unchanging circumstances. By going through distress and comfort with Christ we then are able to bring comfort to others who face trouble. So, brothers and sisters, He's using this to make us better comforted people and also more compassionate comforting leaders too!

In addition, we face distress so that our reliance upon Jesus grows. "We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead."(8-9) It is a spiritual law that when we are in distress we are at our most dependent upon God. Because our Father loves us so much, and knowing that we will never be genuinely happy apart from Him, He lets us experience difficulties so that we see more clearly our need for Him.

And finally, Paul lets us know that we're not designed to bear this alone. "On Him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many." (10-11) Paul reminds us that it through prayer - and through letting others know what you are facing so they can pray - that we have the promise that God will deliver you too! There is spiritual power that is released when we let others know we are distressed and that we need prayer.

May you find His comfort and greater reliance upon Him as you follow Jesus and serve His church.

Yours, Bill