Keeping Politics out of Small Groups

Tis the season for political ads and candidates getting everything in order for their Fall showdowns, um I mean elections. For the next few months we will be bombarded as Americans with new ads telling everything right about one candidate and everything wrong about their opponent. In lieu of this, it is important to address the role of small group leaders and bringing politics into small group discussions. Their is a place for these conversations and the platform of small groups is not one of them. I don't care if you are Democrat, Republican, Independent, or Tea Party(ier), what I do care about is if you bring a political agenda up and argue or lecture on your viewpoint. Small groups, as I have said, are not teaching environments, they are discussion based Bible studies where everyone talks. Politics is one topic that can bring many differing viewpoints and cause healthy conversations, to become attacking and vicious(UH...hello-the candidates themselves do it all the time) I have plenty of conversations with some of my best friends regarding politics and we don't agree on everything. In fact, we can have civil, yet heated debates, on certain topics and walk away with respect for each other and our differing view points. But in the case of small groups, it is not the platform. So, let me be clear: bringing the political conversation into small groups is inappropriate. The important factor is that we do exercise our right to vote and do so accordingly. When we use our leadership platform to express our views because we have an audience in the conmfort of our own family room, then the power of leadership is being abused. It's like me inviting you to my house then making you listen to a business venture and then asking for your money-it makes everyone feel awkward and annoyed. (by the way the last is an example and would never happen at my house, nor should it at yours:) So, as we move forward into the Fall and get back into the swing of small groups-remember the reason we have small groups and stick to the game plan.