“Only half my group showed up” may have been your first words after your first meeting, post GroupLink. Well, forget about those people who could not find your house. Who cares why they did not attend. Be excited for the four couples who did make it, you know, your friends you invited, that is who matters most anyway. NOT, NOT, NOT.
We don’t say this a lot of times or even think this way at all, but our actions many times will show it. Now is the time not to talk about them, but talk to them! Now is the time to call them and check on them. One sad but true story of this: Several years ago, a co-teacher (teachers rotate as teams every other week) of one of our on-campus departments did not show up for his rotation. The co-teacher grabbed a friend and they made it through class. This happened a second time, two weeks later, and the co-teacher asked someone about his co-teacher. “You know he has not been here in three weeks.” The coordinator replied, “Did you not know, he was killed in a car wreck three weeks ago.” It was not lack of concern but lack of understanding responsibility.
Leaders or HOSTs need to be concerned for those who signed up but did not show up. Know what is happening in the lives of people who want to connect but somehow could not. Here are a few pointers to help you this week with the half that did not show up:
1. Pray for them by name before you get to work tomorrow. Ask God to give you words to say when you call them.
2. Call them and be extra positive, especially on the voicemail. They already feel guilty for signing and not showing. They need to know they are wanted, needed and missed when they don’t show up. Also, show concern for them by asking if everything is OK and how can you help.
3. Offer to meet them for coffee, at church between services, etc., to talk and get to know each other better.
4. Send them an email with detailed directions and what to expect at your next gathering: food, what Scripture, how to prepare, games, etc.
This may sound elementary to some of us, but it is often a big miss when trying to do life together.
