Concerning the content of group meetings, I would say that in principle we should have freedom for development. When you take care of a group meeting, you need to consider the practical environment and the need. The purpose of our training is to train you to be quick in response and to supply people according to their need. You should not pick up only one prescription and try to apply it to all sick people. You need to be able to diagnose people to identify their needs. This is why you have much to learn. When a new small group is raised up, or when an existing small group has a new beginning, the brothers and sisters in the group should first have some simple fellowship concerning when each one was saved, how each one is doing, and what needs or problems each one has. After you understand the situation, then you can do your best to supply each one according to the needs. This is one way. Besides this, you may share in the meeting in a spontaneous way what you have enjoyed in fellowshipping with the Lord and reading the Lord’s word recently. At the same time, you can fellowship with those serving together and check the feeling of each one concerning whether to use the Truth Lessons or the Life Lessons. You do not have to be so legal to start from Lesson One. You can select one topic or one lesson according to the need and then labor together. You can also use other spiritual publications. The New Testament Recovery Version will soon be published in Chinese and made available. By then, you can use that also. While you are using these materials, you should not forget that the basic principle of the group meetings is the Word, the Spirit, singing, and praying. You must conduct the meetings according to this principle.
In carrying out the group meetings, we should put all the elders, co-workers, full-timers, and trainees into the groups. In 1985 and 1986, when we were working on the small groups, not many elders participated. Even the co-workers felt not to be involved. I hope this time that the elders would all attend the group meetings. The co-workers should not be an exception. All the other trainees, especially the full-timers, are required to attend. You are the definite members of the small groups. Hence, the group meetings cannot be all on the same day of the week. Formerly, the group meetings of the church in Taipei were all on Saturday evenings. If someone attended one group, he could not attend another group. This time, we will not set a day for the group meeting. During the week we can have group meetings at various times. If you have the burden, you can attend two or more group meetings. Not only are we flexible about the day, we should be flexible about the time as well, not all meeting at 7:30. Some groups can meet at 6:30 in the evening. Some can meet at 7:30. Some have to meet at 8:30. Due to late working hours, some can even meet at 10:30. The time and the date can be arranged individually. Therefore, you can come to my group and I can attend your group. In this way, there can be flexibility in the use of personnel. Hence, this time I do not agree with any legal arrangement concerning the date, the time, and the persons for the group meetings. Rather, those taking care of the small groups should be free to make their own decisions.
Now, in Taipei, you full-timers are mainly those taking care of the small groups. You have a few hundred in number and all of you need to enter into the small groups. In the future, the group meetings will be mainly led by you. Leading these groups is much more complicated than what you have learned in the trainings you have received before. I hope that this aspect can be taken more into consideration in this training to give you some guidance. For example, in the existing small groups, there are two kinds of older people. One kind is those who are old spiritually. The other is those who are old physically. You will have to learn much about how to fellowship with them and develop their organic function. Some do not regard young people. These problems related to age differences are unavoidable. When you young ones attend the group meetings with older ones, you need to learn not to have feelings towards such situations. Remember that your status is different from that of the others. They can speak lightly concerning this and that, but you are there with a commission. You have forsaken everything to serve full-time on this line. You go to the group meetings with a purpose. No matter what others think of you, you have to exert your whole strength to reach your goal, and not stop short. However, you should not be rigid and unbending either. Here are many details that you need a lot of time to learn.
In addition, there may be another kind of atmosphere in the small group. Some who are your age may not be cooperative. They wait to see what you can do and what you will do. In this atmosphere, you have to imitate the feeling of the Lord Jesus when He was on the cross. He knew that His going to the cross was to die for sinners and to accomplish God’s redemption. You have to realize that to go to the group meeting is simply to go to the cross. Especially you young full-time trainees have to be prepared to be crucified.
There is also another group of people in the small groups, the middle-aged sisters. They are very discerning and observant. They want to see how you trainees speak, what you wear, and how you respond. This is like the Lord Jesus being examined by the Pharisees and the Sadducees a few days before His crucifixion. When you go to the small groups, you have to be prepared to be examined by others. When I first came out to serve the Lord, I was about your age. I have tasted all these things, and I know all these stories. We who are working for the Lord are really under the observations of a thousand eyes and have a thousand fingers pointing at us. Whatever we do, others would have something to say. Nevertheless, you young ones should not let others despise your youth; rather, in every respect let your progress be manifest to all.