I hate to break it to you, but your small group is going to end. Every small group, even the very best, is going to close someday. Jesus is no longer meeting in person here with his twelve disciples, and you are not going to do life indefinitely with the wonderful people in your current group. How do you end your small group? How do you celebrate the cool things that God did in it? How do you bring closure?
My wife Vicki and I just closed our small group last night. I will tell you how we did it, and maybe you can glean ideas for how to best end your small group.
How to End Your Small Group
Eat.
We started our time together last night with a meal. Jesus also had a “last supper” in the final official meeting of his group before his death. Do a cookout. Go out to eat together at your favorite restaurant. Or, call a potluck. Families eat together, and you should definitely share food at this crucial point in your journey.
Remember and celebrate what God has done.
Usually, at a final meeting I ask people, “What is one way that God worked in your life through this group?” Last night, I asked a different question: “What is one thing that God has taught you or done in your life in the last year?” It was encouraging and instructive to hear the deep ways that God is teaching and changing each person to be more like Jesus.
Share communion.
Jesus instituted communion at his last meeting, saying, “Do this in remembrance of me.” Small group is all about celebrating and experiencing Jesus together and communion is perfect for this. Last night we had communion and recalled and thanked Jesus for his incredible sacrifice for us, his total forgiveness, and his amazing love. (Unfortunately, I hadn’t planned well, and we didn’t have any grape juice on hand. All we had was V8 and cranberry juice. Vicki pointed out that when you read, “This is my blood shed for you,” that V8 has the wrong consistency. We went with the cranberry juice. It worked just fine.)
Worship.
We enjoyed an extended time of worship, just recalling and resting in God’s goodness.
