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The apostles were an eclectic group of 12. My sisters and I are a diverse group of four. Who do you have among your group of Christian sisters? Do you have a lot of things in common, or are you a unique group?
A rose bush does not have all of its roses budding at the same time. Part of the beauty of the bush is the bud barely blooming next to the full-bodied rose in full bloom.
Which rose are you in your community? In our Christian community, there are people of different ages, stages, and walks of life. And therein lies the beauty.
Another beautiful facet of a diverse community is that we can grow and learn from one another.
The small groups with whom I have participated, and through which I have been blessed the most, are the ones that have a diverse group of women gathering together to deepen their relationships with God and with one another. I like to call them Iron Rose Sisters.
What is an Iron Rose Sister?
An Iron Rose Sister is a Christian sister who serves as iron sharpening iron (Prov. 27:17), encouraging and inspiring others to be as beautiful as a rose in spite of a few thorns.
So, in answer to the question of WHO for small groups? The answer is anyone! We grow most when we are stretched out of our comfort zones, and when we hear the perspectives of others. We are blessed when we are given the opportunity to bless others.
Find a group of women and start a small group today!
The WHAT of Small Groups
WHAT is a small group? A group of people (women in our case) whose purpose is to meet together for encouragement, Bible study and prayer.
In order to allow for depth of discussion and opportunity to share, it is ideal for the group to be made up of no more than eight women.
Yet, it can be as few as two. When it is a small group of two, it can also be known as a mentoring relationship.
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Driving north on Highway 1, also known as Pacific Coast Highway, my friend Mandy asked what I was most enjoying along the drive. Of course, the Pacific Ocean is beautiful, but I was also really enjoying all the flowers in bloom. She responded that she had never paid attention to the flowers, but looked more in the shops along the road. “It’s funny how we all see different things when we’re looking in the same place.” She continued, “Before having my oldest daughter, I would’ve never thought to look for mermaids, but that’s what she told her younger sister to look for during a recent trip we made along this same highway.”
Looking for mermaids. We all see things differently.
I encourage you to look for mermaids today, to see something through someone else’s eyes and appreciate the value of their perspective—one of the many blessings of small groups.
There is greater value as part of a whole than as an individual.
Or as Aristotle put it, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
But I think the best is how Solomon expressed this wisdom, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.
9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
#IronRoseSisterMinistries #smallgroups #community #mermaids