Where can a Seeker find belonging in typical American parish life?
In Seeker Small Groups: Engaging Spiritual Seekers in Life Changing Discussions (2003) Garry Poole proposes small groups led by ordinary Christians as the best way to engage and evangelize seekers.
Okay, so what does he mean by seekers? For him seekers=non-Christian, a spiritual seeker, a seeking friend–it’s interchangeable for someone who has not personally received Jesus Christ as forgiver and leader, no matter how far along they are in their spiritual journey (p. 32). The Christian’s goal then, “is to understand a seeker’s perspective and figure out the best ways to challenge that seeker about what it means to know God. And, then prayerfully attempt to give him or her opportunities to receive Jesus Christ as the only means of finding forgiveness and true relationship with God” (p. 33).
A Seeker Small Group (SSG) is 2-12 seekers and 1-2 Christian leaders who meet to discuss the seeker’s spiritual concerns, questions, and issues. What a huge point! The leader doesn’t really set the agenda or decide that the seekers should hear about, say, styles of prayer, the Catechcism, what RCIA is like, etc. [and yes, I know that these things happen during RCIA’s inquiry phase in many parishes]. Poole notes that Christians often spend time answering questions that seeker’s aren’t asking (something Pope Francis recommends avoiding in Eucharistic homilies as well!). We just want to share the Good News before even engaging with the seeker’s actual objections, confusion, etc. SSGs are place to understand the seekers’ past religious experiences, Biblical understanding, spiritual questions, barriers/objections, and places of spiritual blindness (=where the seeker holds a theology that misrepresents Christianity).
Seeker Small Groups get started through relational evangelism. People in the church inviting friends, relatives, co-workers, acquaintances, and the like. Of course, many people hear about Seeker Small Groups on Sunday–but there’s always a bridge of trust. “If we build it, they will come” simply doesn’t work for seekers. We need to build the relationship and interest first–whether trough church events or conversation at a softball game. Churches can establish affinity-based seeker groups (e.g. men, women, neighborhood, etc.), launch them before or after a popular Sunday service, or jump-start many of them through a large weekend event or outreach moment.
Poole explains that the presence of Seeker Small Groups (or any intentional, pre-evangelization space for seekers) shows that seekers really matter (p. 34). Seekers matter to God, so they should matter to our parishes. When I think about typical parish offerings–eh, there’s not always a place set aside for seekers. We need to to that, instead of expecting seekers to conform to our ideas of the “how” they should come to know/meet Jesus in the midst of the local parish.
Sound intriguing? Poole’s book is easy to digest and is basically a handbook on how to lead these small groups. If you’re an RCIA leader or involved in adult faith formation–I definitely recommend this book. And if you’re sold on the idea of needing a seeker space in your parish, think about trying Alpha, an experience with built-in training and modules that incorporates many of the pre-evangelistic fundamentals Poole highlights.
Colleen Vermeulen
Colleen Reiss Vermeulen, M.Div., M.N.A., blogs, ministers in parish life and lay/deacon formation, and serves as a U.S. Army Reserve officer. She and her husband, Luke, have been married since 2011 and live in Ypsilanti, MI with their two young sons.
One response to “Genuine Places for Seekers in Your Parish”
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Great review.
Sadly, the very people who need to read books like this and who are causing so many problems and divisions in congregations because they don’t understand how to relate to people, won’t read books like this because it’s ‘Protestant’, or simply that the word ‘seeker’ appears in relation to it. 🙁