“And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. For if we willfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.” Hebrews 10:24-27, NRSV

To “encourage” one another here in Hebrew means to turn a person’s direction, to change his from moving in one direction into moving in another direction. Without this encouragement and stirring, one may end up living in sin and wrong-doing that will face judgement (v29).

The fact that these verses of stirring and encouragement (eg. Heb 3:13-15) are often followed by a verse on hardening of hearts or judgement, belies how important gathering together to help each other walk and grow toward the Lord, or face judgement. That is why SG (Small Group) gatherings cannot be a program, but rather a lifestyle of authenticity & accountability.

Building a SG community with traits that can weather through challenging conditions, eg. Pandemic, Persecution and other Crises is a good marker for strong & vibrant SGs in this season.

Here are some courses and modules CLR has to help you build a strong SG community!