Other housegroups in the church were flourishing, but this one wasn't. In previous years it had gone quite well, but the winter evenings saw fewer and fewer people making the effort.
So the pastor telephoned as many of the group as possible. 'Come along this week. Let's talk about what's gone wrong. I want to listen to your point of view.' They came, and it turned into a very helpful time. Here are some of the pitfalls which were identified as leading to the group's demise.
Leadership
For various reasons the leadership/ pastoral oversight of the group had had to be shared between two elders. One would come when the other couldn't. It was nobody's fault but it just didn't help. (Leadership is one of the most important elements of a small group.) It had led to a lack of continuity, which was not very encouraging for others. It made the group feel unimportant. If the leadership do not (or are unable) to give a housegroup thought, planning and prayer, it is no wonder that it suffers. That is true for any housegroup. How about yours?
