The importance of small groups

September 23, 2008,
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Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Last week Hyung Jin Nim spoke about the need to build communities that are safe havens and how he is starting a small group ministry. Here in America we are still pioneering small groups and family fellowships, but we are starting to break through with new members joining our movement and many distant members finding a place to belong. Let’s pray for Hyung Jin Nim and join him in establishing these safe havens for our families and for all of the people around us.

Below is an excerpt from Hyung Jin Nim’s sermon. To see the full sermon, go to
www.tworiversvip.com

God bless you and your family,

James Stewart
National Director
Family Fellowship (HDFC)
truescot@earthlink.net


It's so important that in our lives and communities we have that safe haven that we can return to. We cannot always burden our family. Let us help each other in our community. Here at the Headquarters church, just about two weeks ago, we started home groups, small group practices. This is where our brothers and sisters can come together in faith, where we can help build each other up, build our confidence in one another, build our self-esteem, build our dreams, find our dreams back. This is where we can see that our community deals with very similar issues that we are dealing and struggling with, that we are overcoming and being victorious in, where we can absorb faith and fellowship, victory and support, maturity and sharing.

In the home group communities we see God working miracles, small miracles, in those small communities of 5 to 10 people that come together in faith and fellowship, in encouragement of one another.

Right now we are going to be taking in registration of those who want to become hosts, for those who seek and help impact people's lives, for those who want to help people actualize the vision that God has for them, to help them to become all that God has destined for them to become.

Every week we are going to provide the home groups with a video where we give them support and exercises. It's as easy as popping in a video and then following along, doing the practices, doing the exercises and doing the discussion practices. The home group community is really meant to be that safe haven that we cannot receive in a larger worship service. But we are able to come together in smaller groups where we can give each other encouragement, hope, faith, friendship, fellowship and support; where we can truly learn to live for the sake of the other.

In order to live the blessed life, we need to make use of the safe havens. We need to build communities that have safe havens. It's one of the lessons that I wish we can learn today, that our community, our fellowship, the home that we live in, our children, our spouse, that these relationships give us the power to succeed, that they are able to give us the strength and courage that we need, the confidence, to become truly successful in our lives.

Let us remember that in our hearts, God and True Parents, the number one safe haven in our lives, truly give us solidity, our value, our identity, our purpose, our mission in our lives. That haven gives us the ability to give blessings to others, [gives us] the root practice (basic foundation) in our hearts that allows us to expand that parental love to the rest of the world.

Let us remember the Four Great Realms of Heart that teach us to expand our view of the realms of love, of what a husband, a wife, a child is. At times the child can be the father, or the spouse can be the mother.

Our community is also our safe haven, especially our home group communities. I really encourage every one of us to start learning about the home group practices that we are going to start. We are going to offer those classes every week. On Wednesday at 7:00 we are going to have home group training so that we are able to support each other in smaller but stronger units.

Let's not be one of those very mechanical, wire mesh Unificationists. Let us learn to be the mature, loving ones that can support unification; the ones that can go beyond themselves and truly let our community shine. Be proud of that. Be proud of seeing other people in our community shine.

If we do that, I truly believe that we will find ourselves rooted in our safe havens, that we will be able to move forward with confidence and we will find ourselves with more victory, more illumination, and more peace. And we will receive that blessed life that True Parents have blessed us to live, being a blessing to the world. Brothers and sisters, let's give it up for God and True Parents!