n e w c h u r c h l i f e : m ay / j u n e 2 0 1 4
I think our goal for
helping new members
of the Church should
be not simply to bring
them into the body,
but to help them find
the specific place,
the particular small
group and specific
church use that is
right for each person.
move a limb, or even a little finger, if it
were not bundled together with thousands
of other fibers pulling alongside of it.
Bone cells could not give any structure to
the body without being locked to other
similar cells to form a bone. And neither
bones nor muscle could function without
bundles of nerve fibers carrying message
to and from the sensory and motor parts
of the brain dedicated to each particular
limb. Likewise, small groups create
synergy among individuals to help them
accomplish more.
Small Groups Provide Variety
One of the advantages of small groups in
the Church is that they provide greater
variety.
Heaven as a whole becomes more perfect as more people enter.
Every perfection in the heavens increases with increase of number. (Heaven and
Hell 418)
If bigger is better, does that mean that large groups are better than small
groups? No, it is not a case of “either/or,” because large groups can be formed
of smaller groups, and the increase in perfection results from an increase in
variety. The human form is not made up of many cells that are all identical, nor
of a variety of cells randomly mixed together. Rather the wide variety of cells
are all grouped with other cells that serve a common function. Likewise, every
community on earth is a reflection of the human form and is made of a variety
of people formed into smaller groups with others who have similar functions
and qualities.
Every unity has its existence from diversity, for a unity that is not the result of
diversity is not anything; it has no form and therefore no quality. When, on the
other hand, a unity comes into existence from various parts, and these various parts
are in a perfect form in which each attaches itself in series, like a congenial friend to
another, then the quality is perfect. (Heaven and Hell 56)
Small groups make it possible to have variety within a congregation. A
congregation may have groups:
• for people who are needy
• for people who have a lot to give
• for people who want to learn
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