Yesterday morning in the weight room I told Chunks about an idea for a sermon analogy I may use on August 26th. Yeah, I’m a freak. I think about my sermons that far in advance. Chunks liked the illustration, and said I should try it out on the blog in the meantime. So I will.

Chunks and I lift weights together 3 or 4 days a week. He’s a good workout partner because he:
1. Makes sure I actually go to the gym.
2. Makes sure I don’t drop weights on my head. Although he did drop some weights on his nose one time. True story.
3. Motivates me to complete more repetitions than I would normally complete.

Now, every morning when we’re in the gym, we see people who have hired professional trainers to help them get in shape.
There’s nothing wrong with that. I’ve thought about doing it before, and I may still do it one day.
But there is a big difference between a trainer and a partner.

A trainer tells you what to do and watches you do it.
A partner does it along side you.

I’m not saying that one is better than the other in the weight room.
But at Elevation, we want people to have spiritual partners, not just trainers.

In the typical church model, the professional trainer (Pastor) is hired to do all the ministry for all the people.
When they’re sick, he’s supposed to come see them and pray for them.
When they need advice, he’s supposed to counsel them.
When they’re not doing well spiritually, he’s supposed to magically know about it, and help them get back in the game.

He’s a trainer who tells them what to do.
But how many people can he do this for? 20? 50? 100? 200?
Eventually his ability to serve as personal trainer for every member will exhaust itself and become the chief limiting factor in the growth of the church.

That’s why I believe so strongly in our small group system.
It provides an opportunity for members to develop a network of partners…
To motivate, assist, and encourage one another rather than relying on the trainer to do it for them.
It allows us to grow far beyond the limits of the volume of ministry that one man can handle. Because every member becomes a minister.
It’s a Biblical model, and it’s a better model.
If you’re an Elevation attendee, and the only spiritual exercise you get weekly is on Sunday morning while the professional trainer is motivating you from the stage, you need some partners for everyday life.

Email Groups Pastor John Bishop at jbishop@elevationchurch.org and hit the weights.