From time to time we all need encouraging and building up, both in our private lives, and also in the life we share together in our local church.

The Bible recognises this in quite a number of places. For instance, Paul wrote to the Thessalonian Church 'Encourage one another and build each other up'. To the Roman Church he wrote 'Let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual building up', and 'Let each of us please his neighbour for his good to build him up.'

The original word used in the New Testament for 'Building up', 'strengthening' or 'edifying' has been used in its various forms in the N.T... over forty times.

When Paul was inspired to write these things, it is evident that he regarded it of utmost importance that Christian believers should contribute to each others' building up and to that of the local church as a whole.

God not only loves us as individuals but, as Paul said to the Ephesian Church "Christ loved the Church. and gave himself up for her. We are loved! both ways - as individuals and as the body of God's people - the local church.

How do we bring these two things together - our need and God's love encouraging our building up? One practical way of doing this is in the small home group for both Bible Study and Prayer - the Bible Study for finding out what God wants for the Church and for us; the Prayer as we endeavour to fit it to ourselves as a group, and as individuals in that group.

These groups are in action in many places in Britain, and also overseas, and in a number of different denominations, though many churches for one reason or another have not yet ventured to start one.

It is recognised that there is a danger of such groups becoming divisive. Acknowledging this very real danger, the remedy is not to be negative, and have no groups - but rather to see to it that the groups are properly motivated. If, from the very beginning, they regard themselves as not separate from, but in the role of Servants to the local church, then they can be a blessing to that local church.

The activities of the group should be motivated by a desire to edify and strengthen both each other, and the larger congregation to be, as it were the church within the church - the 'Backroom people' who pray to God for the general good of the whole congregation, their clergy, and for specific situations and individual within it, as need arises.

They do not, seek public acclaim, but rather do they seek through prayer, and the surrendering of their own lives to God to be able to ask Him for those things that are needful.

If this group were only a human activity, dependent solely on the natural resources of the people concerned, it would surely fail in its object.

But if God Himself is involved in it, as should be; if the member concerned asks the Holy Spirit's wisdom rather than their own (See I Corinthians 2 1-5) then surely God will honour and use the group in the building up of the local church it supports.