Six people and the teacher to be exact. One man is in his 60s, strangely talks to nobody except the teacher, and just goes about swimming his laps. One man is into it when he shows up, but is half hearted about his attendance. Two men are very close friends who do multiple IronMen events a year. That means that can swim 2 miles, ride 140 miles, and run a marathon back-to-back-to-back. They are in better physical shape than Navy Seals. They have spent countless hours over several years in the pool. When the teacher tells them their warmup is a 1,000 meter freestyle, they don't even blink. And then there is me and my friend who have not swam in a race since elementary school, have little pool stamina, and need to be taught basic techniques. When she tells us, "do a 300 pull", we literally don't know what she means; swim lingo is foreign to us. We are novices.
But here is the thing, despite many reasons to dislike swim class, I really look forward to Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Here is why I shouldn't like it: We have to get in a cold pool at 4:50am. The swim drills hurt my lungs, heart, arms, and legs. I don't really know the teacher. I don't understand a third of what the teacher says. It is intimidating to look to the lane to my left and see guys who compete in IronMen races; they are half fish when they swim. We are not all at the same point in our pool abilities. There is the strange guy who is there, but talks to no one.
Here is why I do like going: After two classes, the teacher already has memorized my name and that I have a wife and four kids. She has taken the time to determine my experience and confidence in the pool. She is organized and prepared and able to teach me well. The Iron Men guys do not look down on me. In fact, it is quite the opposite. They greet me when I arrive and bid me farewell when I am leaving. They give me pointers. They share stories of their early days and struggles. They praise me for finishing a "200 pull" after they finish their "700 pull". They have already invited me to join them on an open water practice swim. I have a friend in the class. The content of the class stretches me and challenges me. I can feel the burn and soreness from the experience. The teacher doesn't let me slack. If she thinks I'm hanging on the wall too long between sets she tells me to get off the wall and start swimming.
Yesterday morning while swimming what felt like endless laps, I couldn't help but consider that the same principles that make the class good are the same ones that make an NEHBC small group good. Every class has weirdos. Every class has people at different levels of biblical literacy and personal holiness. Every class requires sacrifice to be there. Eliminating these issues will not make a class healthy. Here is what makes a class healthy: a leader who genuinely cares about the well being of the group members. A leader who is prepared and organized and a capable teacher. A leader who leads and doesn't just facilitate group think. Content that challenges and stretches the group. Group members who genuinely look out for each other and help each other regardless of spiritual depth.
If someone can create a setting that makes me look forward to a 4:50am swim class in cold water, how much more should a church be able to create a healthy setting for bible class?
NEHBCers, you should both expect and contribute to vibrant small group environments at our church. If your group is not vibrant, you should not settle for mediocrity. But you also need to own some of the responsibility of creating a vibrant environment in your small group through friendliness, encouragment, reaching out, and the like.
NEHBC is only as vibrant as our small groups. Thank you to all who pour into them. You play a crucial role at NEHBC.
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