Categories: uncategorized
Date: 04 October 2007 07:04:51
Once upon a time there was a young(ish) professional who exalted the virtues of small groups, particularly within churches. She argued that having looked at the theory, and having done her own smallscale research, for a qualification to expand her CV, that these groups were the ideal way for people to give and recieve support, particularly lone parents. Having looked at the evidence she thought it was important these groups were mixed gender and multi-generational.
The young professional was part of one of these groups herself, but often struggled because the reality didn't feel like it matched the theory. She longed to be in, for want of a better term a gen x group, where she could be understood.
One day after facilitating a bible study in one of these small groups the exhausted lone parent which the young professional turned into when nobody was looking took her place on the sofa.
People looked at and listened to the lone parent and realised the lone parent needed a hand with something. Now being a good small group they offered to help. However, the young professional within the lone parent started to become concerned. The young professional didn't like to feel vunerable or like her independance was under threat so she started to come up with reasons why the help offered might not be accepted.
In the group there was a wise woman who recognised what was going on & came up with a solution. The young professional could escape to do some marking whilst the group did what they needed to help the lone parent.
The young professional felt better about this idea, and looked around the room. Despite doing her best at times to remain aloof and independant she was in a group of people who cared. She suddenly understood what the people she had interviewed had been talking about when they spoke of their experiences of small groups and realised that the conclusions of her research might not be complete waffle afterall.
Therefore, the young professional and the lone parent who often struggled to accept each other, because they were both competing for the body and brains time, both agreed on something. They both thought that being part of a small group is a very good thing and wanted to thank the people in their small group for being there. The young professional also realised that she needed to work on her time management skills a little so the lone parent could have a little more time to get what she needed to done.