Commitment

For some of us it seems natural to stay in one place and live our whole lives there, for others staying in one place for more than a couple of years seems crazy. For some it is about changing jobs or wanting to move back closer to family, for others there’s no choice, we have to be in a certain place for children or parents, or others that rely on us. So what is our commitment to church? And what is our commitment to the NWC? Whether we are a leader or in the team, it is important to figure out how long we are going to be there and if we are planning to move on, how we do that process really well. One way of looking it at which is that we are in the team until we have raised someone up to replace us. That means we are committed until we find someone that we can give the opportunity to, to play the role that we had in the team. Another way might be to say from the beginning I can commit to a year, so let’s plan how that’s going to work when I start to leave. It is important that we are open about commitment because in a fluid and uncertain world, we want to show a Christ-like loyalty and kindness to our friends. It is unusual to commit to a place or a group of people in our current culture, but in the Bible it was really common. 

Team Exercise (25 mins):

Prep: Read the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament. As you do think about how different people, especially Ruth, choose to commit to others. What does that commitment look like? All bring to the group a couple of thoughts on this.

Task: Begin by talking about when people have committed to you. This could be a sensitive subject, so be kind and listen well. 

Discussion of the Bible: Chat in your group about what commitment looks like in the Book of Ruth, can we learn anything from it? Do we know any other examples of when people have committed to each other (for example, Jonathan and David, Peter and Jesus) and where it has gone wrong as well? 

Conclusion: The expectation is not for everyone to declare their commitment to the NWC at the end of this discussion, but to think about who are they committed to in their lives and where are they committed. God often calls people to specific places as well as people. Sometimes this can definitely be about moving from one location to another (think the Apostle Paul) but it might also be to one specific place. In some cases this might be permanently, in others it might just be for a time. Ultimately, wherever we are, as the old saying goes - grow where you are planted. 

Prayer: Pray together for God to guide us to where and who He wants us to commit to.