Experience with Small Group Ministry training

When I looked at the church as a pastor for a while, I felt that things were constantly happening in a similar rhythm to which we had somehow become accustomed. And suddenly it was there. Small Group Ministry training with Laszlo Szabo as a prospect that could completely change the way the church works. 

I am extremely grateful to be a part of it. I have long dreamed of what it would be like if we could actively support the lay movement, if we could involve young, gifted people in creating small groups that would become a spiritual environment for growth and at the same time a natural and understandable environment for their friends. 

It started when Laszlo was a keynote speaker at an ASI business meeting in the Czech Republic, talking about a real mission, our approach to our surroundings, the enormous opportunities we have, and a society that is hungry for spiritual things. At that time, two young people came to him with the desire whether it would be possible to establish deeper cooperation and create, for example, some training that could help put the theory into practice. And so, it began. 

The Spirit led things and more and more people began to join, even from different countries. And so, after about 20 people from the Czech Republic and Slovakia accepted the invitation, others from Hungary joined and finally the Finns joined as well, so I can say with great admiration that there are around 40 of us today, we meet online every week and look forward to what's ahead. The whole concept is created in such a way that we are divided into 5 groups, with 2 people selected from each group, whose task is to lead the group. They are regularly trained in advance so that they feel sufficiently prepared for the role, but at the same time so that it is a challenge for them. Over 4 or 5 weeks, they will be replaced by another two from the group who will take on their role, but with the former leaders helping to train them and going through the whole process with them. 

The purpose is to gradually learn to create a pleasant atmosphere of friendship, to be able to listen but also to respond properly and lead the discussion and content of the group in the Spirit of Wisdom and God's guidance. Gradually, we discover how to lead a group within the church, later how to lead a group with interested people outside the church, and if someone goes through training until the end, they should be able to start and lead a group with secular people who are not primarily interested in the church. 

So, we pray for each other, share and taste the atmosphere that one day we would like to create by ourselves where God sends us. I am glad that this is gradually becoming a movement which is redirecting our Church life to be primarily human-oriented, not program-oriented, and which teaches us to open ourselves so that we can pass the real life and God's love as a reference to God's kingdom.​ - Tomas Dymacek