Griggs Groups: Productivity
"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken."
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
We are so proud of all those engaging our Griggs Groups. Griggs Groups takes more commitment than almost anything else we do as a church. Not only do you have to show up on a weeknight, but you also typically have to participate. Unlike Sunday mornings where you mostly get to listen, at Griggs Groups you inevitably do the hard work of getting involved in the lives of others. And that participation is the main point of groups. That participation is productive.
Think about this for a moment—what is the church called to do?
Off the top of your head you may list things like this…
Pray for people
Care for the sick
Meet needs
Lift people up
Share the gospel
These are certainly some of the roles of the church in the world. And in the earliest days of the church, it was clear that these tasks were the work of the entire body.
However, in the West today, there's been a shift. Because we have the resources, we often look to pastors or church staff to take on these responsibilities. While it's biblical for pastors to lead in these areas, it's not biblical for the church to expect that only the pastor should be doing these things.
In 1 Timothy 2, Paul talks about God's desire for the whole church to be involved in the work of the ministry so that all of the people outside the church might be saved by the gospel…
First, we see Paul saying that he has a specific role as a full-time church leader…
"For which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle…” - 1 Timothy 2:7
But, he then says…
"I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands…" - 1 Timothy 2:8 -
"[I desire] that women adorn themselves…with good works…” - 1 Timothy 2:9-10
So we see that we have some who are taking on ministry as a more vocational role, but all the men and women are to be involved in the mission. There are several reasons for this, but one is that a single man doing everything is counter productive. Everyone doing something is super productive. This is, in part, why we do groups.
Consider this
What's more productive? One person praying for all those in authority (as it tells us to do in 1 Timothy 2:1), or the entire church praying together?
One person visiting all the sick, or each Griggs Group taking care of their own sick?
One person managing every need in the church, or each group supporting their own group members?
Which brings about more blessing, as Ecclesiastes speaks of? Waiting for one person to notice when you’ve fallen, or having a community where everyone lifts each other up?
If God’s desire is for all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4) what would be the better approach? One person somehow sharing the gospel with the whole world or everyone sharing the gospel with the lost in their little world?
In this letter to Timothy, and other places like Ephesians 4:11-12, we see a pattern: church leaders guide and help, like Paul is guiding Timothy, and Timothy is guiding the church at Ephesus.
But "being the church" means everyone committing to the work simply because they’re Christians, not because of a position. This greatly increases our capacity to do all the church is called to do in the world.
Biblical community is productive. It’s the body meeting the needs of the body, and the body of Christ reaching out to the world. We are stronger, more effective, and more faithful to our calling when we work together.
Griggs Groups take a lot of individual investment and participation. But it is so, so worth it.
