If you have read some of my previous writings, you know that I am an advocate of “triads.” Simply put, three people that meet together on a regular basis for the purpose of personal and spiritual growth and development. They key to this is the benefits of the size of the group – 3.

A friend who is also an advocate was telling me about a number of guys who he has been talking with, all of who he would love to be involved in a group with him. The issue was that his group would end up being 5 or 6 guys. He wondered if he should simply choose some of the guys and dismiss the others for another time or trust that someone else would pick them up. How important was it to have only 3 guys? Should he deviate from what he has been committed to the past 4 years? Is he heading to failure if he does?

It was a great conversation as we bounced around the pros and cons. And we realized that in these circumstances, it is imperative that we always go back to the core, what we are trying to accomplish. We can never let the forms we use become more important than the reason we meet in the first place.

Honestly, a group of 5 or 6 may work, in fact, a group of 80 could work if every single person was fully committed and self-motivated and willing to go deep relationally as they trust everyone with who they are and had each other’s best interest at heart.

How often have you heard the phrase “we’ve always done it this way.” How many churches are dwindling down to nothing simply because they want to hold on to a way of “doing church” that no longer connects within this cultural context.

My encouragement to him was simple – go for it. And as you do, be constantly aware of the dynamics and how the guys are maturing in their faith. Try to understand what is working well and what isn’t. Make changes as necessary and if it doesn’t work out, don’t worry about it. Take courage in the fact that you kept the main things the main things and that you were willing to step out and try something beyond what was the norm for you.

We need to always be asking questions about what works and what doesn’t. We need to always be trying new things in order to help others mature in their faith in God. And we must never become so tied to what is working today that we miss what will work in the future. Maintain the core purposes of what you are trying to accomplish and experiment always with the forms to get there.

For the kingdom.