Saw a Big Shift in My Small Group After We Opened Up About Doubt

I've been in a Bible study group for about 18 months now, and the first 12 months were all nodding along and saying the right things. Then one night, Tom (the guy who always seems so solid) admitted he wasn't sure about the resurrection anymore. Within 6 months, our group went from 6 to 12 people because others felt safe enough to bring their real questions too. Has anyone else seen a group grow when you stop pretending and just admit you don't have it all figured out?

2 comments

2 Comments

harper_smith9d ago

My own small group went from 5 to 11 in about 8 months after the same thing happened. John, our quietest guy, finally said he struggled with the whole concept of prayer. After that, people stopped giving perfect answers and started sharing their actual questions. We even had a night where no one had a good answer about suffering. That honesty brought in new folks who heard about it through a friend. Growth happened because we stopped selling a polished version of faith.

wren_thomas169d ago

You make it sound like doubt is a strategy for growth, but what happens when the doubt doesn't stop at one night? Real vulnerability can turn a small group into a therapy session real fast, and not everyone wants that. Some people actually need solid answers to hold onto, especially if they're new to faith and still figuring out the basics. A group that celebrates not having good answers might end up with no answers at all, and that's not the kind of foundation that lasts. Your group got bigger, sure, but bigger doesn't always mean better if the core message gets watered down.