Group Life Conference 2008 Session 3
I’m trying something new – blogging while listening to the speaker. Session 3 is titled What Stunts Community Growth led by speaker Will Miller. So here are my notes below:
The culture stunts community growth.
2 Facts about American culture:
a. Last year, 46 million Americans moved.
b. The average American watches 28 hours of television a week (not counting Internet).
These two facts demonstrate why Americans are timid, self reliant, and individually focused.
Questions for the audience: How many hours do you spend each week watching television? I think I watch 5-10 hours a week.
How many hours do you spend each week looking at a computer screen? I would say more than 25 hours (I work quite a bit on a computer – I’m on the computer right now.)
What is the total number of times that you have moved? I’ve moved5 times.
Refrigerator Rights (the title of his new book) – The term “refrigerator rights” refers to those who can, without asking permission, open the fridge in your home and make a sandwich—i.e. how many people you are really close to.
“Driving is the laboratory for American mood disorders.” This guy is funny. He went on with some driving stand-up comedy (you should know that he’s also a stand-up comedian).
We have to get over the fact that things in community aren’t always going to be comfortable. When we get together, our love for each other has got to trump the uncomfortableness of our differences. The questions above point to the actions in our country that perpetuate the problem. This is why group life ministry is so important. It is not going to be easy. We are swimming big time against our culture. The answer to the disconnectedness of our culture is community through small groups.
Stay tuned for more…