Weekly Pursuit—Week of May 23, 2021

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Forming the Group Meetings

Verses:

Matthew 18:19 Again, truly I say to you that if two of you are in harmony on earth concerning any matter for which they ask, it will be done for them from My Father who is in the heavens. (20) For where there are two or three gathered into My name, there am I in their midst.

Ministry Portion:

According to our history, whenever a church reached an attendance of one hundred, the rate of increase became reduced. The reason for this is that after attaining that number, the principle of meeting in groups was annulled. We began to trust in the big meetings and began to do everything to support, maintain, enrich, and uplift the big meetings. Everything was for the big meetings. This is absolutely against the biblical principle. 

We all must realize that our destiny depends on how to have group meetings. If we do not practice the group meetings, our rate of increase will remain very low. We may be busy in many things each day, even with meetings here and there, but it will mostly be in vain because the increase will be less than about ten percent a year. This is the reason that we must endeavor to form the group meetings.

This new practice will not conflict with the present church life or with the present way. The saints do not need to stop going to the prayer meeting or the other meetings. They should still keep going to all the regular meetings. But in addition to the regular meetings of the church, there is the need for some to pick up the burden and form new groups. To form the new groups, first you should pray, asking the Lord to give you a companion. If you pray, the Lord may lead you to go to the brother sitting next to you. As you go to him and tell him of your intention, the Spirit may confirm your work and inspire him to join you. Then the two of you will become a group. The first thing the two of you must do in your group meeting is to get yourselves closely joined in spirit and in your environment. (Fellowship concerning the Urgent Need of the Vital Groups, ch. 3)