Dec

12

Four Types of Groups–Part 3

December 12, 2007 | Comments Off

Focused Groups

This is the type we are in now. Our group came together during a Purpose Driven Life focus and found that we have a lot in common. We are all older and new empty nesters. We’ve all been involved in active ministry for what seems like forever, and we’ve each gone through some events that led to burnout. For the first time in dozens of years, we just needed a safe place to heal. We’ve remained a closed group, and although the members stated a goal of personal growth, much of our focus has been on praying for our kidults and grappling with the changes we’re facing after devoting ourselves to parenting for the past 20 to 30 years. While we have an administrative leader, we share teaching leadership among several of us. We’re the loosest group I’ve ever been a part of, canceling whenever it looks as if several will miss. I’ve often said that this group breaks every rule I’ve ever believed in, but for this group, it works. For now.

So a focused group would be a group that comes together for a specific purpose and/or a limited time. It may focus on a type of growth. For example, I’ve led groups of challenging people, where I’ve gathered several women who have been invited to leave other groups and taught them how to be in a group. You can read more about this type of group in Why Didn’t You Warn Me? A focused group may deal with a recovery issue. I’ve led groups of women healing from childhood abuse. Most of these groups are closed, and then add a specific focus.

In addition to the advantages and disadvantages listed under the Closed, Limited Duration Discipleship groups, these groups add the following:

Advantages:

These groups bring together like people dealing with like issues, so become very focused.Because of the focus, members often become good friends and do things socially outside of the group. They provide very effective community.

Prayer requests are often limited to the group’s focus. So in a group dealing with recovery issues, prayer requests and discussion would generally be limited to those issues. Although this sounds limiting, it results in the greatest growth of any type of group I know of.

Disadvantages:

Some people don’t want to focus (and therefore shouldn’t be part of this type of group).

Next time we’ll look at Action Groups.

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