Apollos needed a spiritual tune-up. Acts 18:24-25 describes this leader in the early Jesus movement as having been "instructed in the way of the Lord" and that he "taught about Jesus accurately." It even says he was a bold speaker about the way. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him speak, it says "they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately." Apollos was a faithful follower of Jesus. He was a leader and teacher. But he was lacking in some department and needed correction, edification, and encouragement. Apollos needed discipleship.
When you hear the word discipleship, what do you think of? Perhaps for many of us, we think of a long-term teacher-student relationship, a kind of Christian Mr. Miyagi who will whip you into spiritual shape. Our paradigms for discipleship often come from college or high school ministries where there was a clear age and maturity hierarchy. Such discipling relationships are precious and formational and often rare. Yet they do not exhaust the meaning of discipleship. We have no indication Apollos' relationship with Priscilla and Aquila was long term. Indeed, Apollos was sent off from Ephesus shortly after to help the church in Achaia. Discipleship in the case of Apollos was fixed and focused.
One danger in the Mr. Miyagi paradigm is its potential passivity. You're waiting for some older Christian to come, see potential, and take you under her arm. We must remember that our discipleship is first under Jesus. Discipleship is primarily about following Jesus and becoming like him. And Jesus was never passive. We are responsible to God for our own discipleship. Yes, the church is the context where discipleship happens, and the church must provide opportunities and invitations for discipleship. Like Priscilla and Aquila. Discipleship will not happen on accident. You cannot wait on the church to do it for you. It requires ownership, intentionality, boldness, pursuit, and perseverance.
It's this kind of fixed and focused discipleship we see in Acts 18 we are seeking to do with our Discipleship Intensive Groups (DIGs). They're short-term groups meant to explore some area of Christian discipleship so we can understand and live "the way of God more accurately." And there are all sorts of benefits to such a format. These groups are meant to mix up our church community in good and healthy ways. In our first DIG anger meeting last Thursday, it was a delight to see people who've worshipped together for months get to meet and talk for the first time. These groups are short term commitments, which is also advantageous in the midst of the busy schedules of Bay Area people.
What about our community groups? This is a season of respite and reorientation for our community groups. Please thank your community group leader. They have been leading for a long time with little break. And it's a difficult job, navigating everyone's expectations and schedules. As a community groups pastor, I've found that it's easy for community groups to to become cliquish and in-grown. They become more self-focused and less hospitable. Even good goals like vulnerability and intimacy can easily quench spiritual vitality and a missional consciousness. A major reason alongside community for our groups has to be discipleship, growing in Christ-likeness together.
So we have need for a recasting of vision and an equipping of leaders before we relaunch community groups. But this is not to say you can't hang out with your CG in the meantime! Indeed you should! The summer is a great opportunity for some social hangouts. I've found that the more people hang out outside of CG, the better CG actually is. Your desire to keep going in CG means that CG is working! So in the meantime, three things:
Keep pursuing those relationships you had in CG and make them about Jesus. Ask how you can pray for each other this summer.
Join a DIG this summer and fall. We'll have several options in the fall.
Please pray for the relaunch of CGs and consider if the Lord might be calling you to lead or host in some way.