When talking with Christians about leading a seeker group, what fears do you hear voiced most often?
Poole: What I hear most from potential leaders: “Wow, I wouldn’t know the first place to start,” and “Where would I get the seekers?”
Pippert: Usually they say, “But what if they ask me a question I can’t answer?” I tell them to respond: “What a fantastic question! I haven’t a clue what the answer is. But can I get back to you after I’ve had time to think about it?” Where did we ever get the idea that we must be the bionic Bible persons who know every answer? Leading a seeker group is far more about how much you care for people than how much you know.
How do you convince Christians of the importance of seeker groups?
Poole: This is one of the biggest challenges for Christians and churches. We tend to have the holy huddle syndrome. I’m challenging people to break out of that and spend time with non-Christians. When I did that, it forced me to defend my faith, which became stronger as a result.
Chae: We don’t really struggle with that. More traditional Christians tend not to like our church. We didn’t come up here to minister to Christians.
Pippert: Christians who are so busy with church activities that they have no time for seekers—now that’s unbiblical.
You’ve all seen hundreds of seeker groups. Have you identified some key reasons for why they work?
Poole: Two things—unconditional love and acceptance. Seekers are honored in the seeking process; they’re listened to, not judged. When non-Christians do come to church, they’re used to feeling judged or preached at. But in a seeker group, they feel acceptance from others. And as a result, they experience firsthand the unconditional love of Jesus.
Chae: You really can’t feed a flock of 500. It’s more about equipping others to feed that flock. I love that model. The small group leader becomes the group’s pastor—the primary caregiver. That’s a major reason small groups have worked for us.
Pippert: We are depending upon supernaturally powerful resources: the Word of God, the Holy Spirit and the love of Christ. Seeker studies also fit the needs of postmodern people, communicating Truth in narrative form through Gospel stories. Seeker groups promote authentic relationships and they develop community—all things this culture is looking for.
