Growth takes time. Jesus’ model for discipleship was intentional, relational, and patient. He intentionally invested in the lives of a handful of disciples who went out and invested relationally in the lives of others. The growth of Jesus’ ministry did not happen overnight, and you should not expect quick growth for your group either. Be patient, but move forward with intentional purpose to grow your Mom Heart group. God is looking for your faithfulness, not your fruitfulness. Fruitfulness always follows faithfulness.Your priority as a leader should never be only to pursue growth in numbers. The number of moms involved in your group or ministry can certainly indicate a healthy and thriving group, but it should not become an artificial or counterfeit measure of success that tempts you to place your confidence as a leader on the wrong indicator. Your priority should be growth in Christ—to build up your moms in the Lord and help them grow in spiritual maturity. And yet even that is not the end purpose of your group.
If the Spirit of God is a river of living water flowing into the life of your group, it is meant to flow in you, through you, and then out to others. If it all goes in but then nothing flows out, your group can eventually become stagnant, and no longer living or growing. The ultimate purpose of your group is not just to grow, but to grow out and reach other women. That’s the kind of biblical growth that will make a difference—growth in spiritual maturity expressed in a heart for reaching out to others.There are many mothers in the body of Christ and in your community who are minimalized, marginalized, and even neglected. They need the hope and encouragement that you are finding in your group. If you are growing in Christ, then you have truth and grace to offer other mothers who are thirsty. When you do that as a group, united in purpose and motivated by love for Christ and others, you will show the world that you are His disciples.Excerpt from Taking Motherhood to Hearts.