By Chris Crain
Executive director, Birmingham Metro Baptist Association
The shift from summer to fall is more than a change in weather; it’s a change in rhythm. That’s why this season is one of the very best times to take a step toward deeper relational connection through a small group or Bible study.
For some, this might mean returning to a group they’ve been part of for years. For others — especially those new to church or to the Christian faith — it could be the first time they’ve ever sat in a circle (or a row), opened a Bible and discovered the gift of Bible-centered, Christ-focused fellowship with other believers outside of the worship service.
The Bible has a word for this kind of fellowship: koinonia. It’s more than casual friendship — it’s life shared in Christ, encouragement given and received and spiritual growth nurtured together.
Research confirms what Scripture has long taught. Lifeway’s State of Groups study found that churches where nearly half of Sunday worshippers are also in a small group tend to see healthier attendance and stronger commitment over time.
Power in relationships
Something powerful happens when we move from simply hearing the Word to processing it together in conversation, prayer and accountability. When we experience genuine care, when people know our names and pray for our needs, it becomes harder to imagine life without that kind of support.
In Acts 2:42, we read about the early believers devoting themselves to “the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” That wasn’t an occasional drop in. It was a pattern — a rhythm of life — that shaped their faith and their witness to the world.
Small groups give us that same opportunity today. They help us dig deeper into Scripture, build authentic relationships and live out our faith in practical ways. And as the seasons shift, so can we.
If you’re a leader, you play a key role in helping people find their place. It’s our responsibility to create clear “on ramps” for the new and the disconnected. A warm welcome at the door, a personal invitation and a pathway into a group can be the difference between someone feeling like an observer and becoming a true part of the body of Christ.
This fall, let’s make sure no one has to journey alone. Fall is the perfect time to reengage in small groups and Sunday School.
Letters to the Editor
I loved the podcast with Denise George on “what Jesus prayed for Himself” that was featured on TAB Media Group’s YouTube channel recently. (George’s eight-part series focused on praying like Jesus prayed is currently running on The Weekly podcast and is available online at thealabamabaptist.org.)
A reader and listener
from South Africa
Ouch! With the precision of a skilled surgeon, Chuck Lawless has pinpointed some of the most strategically significant pitfalls or potholes into which any Christian minister may unconsciously fall — sometimes, perhaps, even intentionally. The information in the article “Has ministry become your idol?” in the Aug. 21 edition should be a wake-up call to repentance for those whose mental imaging and ecclesiastical aspirations even remotely touch the hem of the garment which Chuck has so concretely portrayed.
Morris Murray Jr.
Jasper
Thank you for the splendid article “Working through different expectations” by Morris Murray Jr. in the July 10 edition of The Alabama Baptist. I think it’s full of wisdom, and I learned important things by reading it.
Fisher Humphreys
Vestavia Hills
“It was really a gut check moment for the whole church,” said Stephen Robbins, pastor of Elkin Valley Baptist Church in Elkin, North Carolina, after the church was scammed out of $793,000 in 2022. “But out of it came a resolve to move forward. If we believe that God wanted us to move in this direction, then we need to let Him write the rest of the story.” He noted, “We don’t want to walk away from this in any way believing ourselves to be victims. We are victorious in Christ, and we are further along now than we would have been had this not happened.”
“Watch your patience meter today. Having a patient attitude toward life means you focus on God not on the things of this world, which can so often drag a person down. And there’s a side benefit when you keep your eyes on Him: personal joy.”
Tony Dungy
Retired NFL coach
The risen, ruling, all-powerful Christ is the head of your church! He knows how to grow it and reach your community!
Richard Blackaby
Author, Bible study leader, leadership expert
“You’ve got to have a close tight circle, guys you can truly count on, and they’ll help you know the truth, know who God is,” said Denver Broncos’ quarterback Bo Nix. “You’ve got to have your priorities right. You’ve got to be thinking about the right things or you’re just gonna fall.”
“That’s the whole point,” said Paul Rials, on reaching others with the gospel through a professional wrestling ministry, The Lost Art of Wrestling. “I want the ones who aren’t believers in the locker room. We’re not just reaching fans. We want to love on these wrestlers. We have a devotional. Even tonight, two of the wrestlers indicated that they were interested in being saved.”
“If you feel called to take that job, you are going to be a lightning rod. It goes with the job,” said Richard Land, former president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, on the ERLC’s search for new leadership. “If you don’t have a thick skin, you shouldn’t take that job. Fortunately, I did.”
“Over a really slow amount of time, probably 10 or 15 years, I just reluctantly would take small steps forward,” said Kara Grifs, a student at Dallas Baptist University, on how God helped restore her faith in Him. “God was really patient with me because I would take some steps forward and some steps back.”
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