 Nathan CreitzSmall Group Trader Contributor
Group Life Coordinator, Grace Community- MA
I am the Group Life Coordinator at Grace Community Church in Marblehead, MA. In addition to leading a small group, I also coach the other small group leaders and apprentice leaders, provide training opportunities for them, and provide resources so that they can be more effective in their ministry.
My wife Kim and I met at our former church and got to know each other in our small group. I saw in her a woman who really cared for others. She was the first to notice if someone was upset and she knows how to make deep and lasting friendships. I’ve learned more about fellowship from her than anyone else and I’m grateful God brought us together to serve Him and each other.
Kim and I live north of Boston where I have been completing a degree at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. We are expecting our first child in November and have enjoyed getting the baby room put together. My favorite is the little tweezers with the magnifying glass built right in. I hope we never have to use it on our daughter, but it is so cool. We also have two orange cats, a boy and a girl, that we named Colby Jack and Ritz Bits (you know, cheese and crackers?). They fought when we first introduced them but now they do as much snuggling with us and with each other as possible.
Nathan Creitz Interview with Small Group Trader:
Small Group Trader: When did you decide to serve in Small Group Ministry?
Nathan Creitz: I never really decided to serve in Small Group Ministry. Instead, throughout my life I’ve had great experiences with various types of groups and my passion for leading small groups and small group leaders has grown over time. When I was a teenager, a father in my church who also had two other teens gathered a group of 6 or 8 high school freshmen together and we studied God’s Word, prayed together and held each other accountable.
As a freshman in college, when I was free to go to church or not, my roommates banded together and decided we should all meet weekly for Bible study and accountability. I’ve had numerous other experiences in a small group setting and now, for the past 5 years I’ve led groups and coached group leaders. It’s just a natural place for me to serve because I feel so strongly about the smaller, more intimate setting, as an environment where transformation can truly take place.
Small Group Trader: What encouragement would you offer to small group leaders out there?
Nathan Creitz: Stay committed to your group. They will sometimes neglect to call and say they aren’t coming. You will feel like they aren’t as committed to the group as you are. You may even have a difficult person who is argumentative and volatile. There are all sorts of difficulties that can arise when you choose to mix it up with people. It didn’t stop Jesus from choosing to invest in a few in an intimate way.
I would simply encourage you to be a student of your group members. Learn what they love and what they don’t like. Find out their strengths and weaknesses. Cook a meal for them. Do they have allergies? You should know. The more you get to know them, the more they know you love them and want to see them grow. Meanwhile, as you are getting to know them, don’t forget to let them get to know you – the real you! Be vulnerable and open with your life. Let them help you. Trust them!
Small Group Trader: In what ways have you and your spouse/family grown spiritually since you have been involved in this ministry?
Nathan Creitz: When I was a freshman in college I had the option to stop attending church or to begin the laborious process of finding one. I didn’t have too many friends so I chose to just sleep in on Sundays for the first few months. For years, my faith had not been very active. I was a Christian but was I truly following Jesus?
God really blessed me that first year of college with three Christian roommates who were a little bit older and more mature in their faith. They decided we should all get together on a weekly basis for prayer, Bible study, and accountability. It was in that context that my faith flourished and within a few months I knew God was calling me into full-time ministry. Years later, a young woman named Kim was in my small group at church.
In that small group context I saw Kim’s ability to know when something was bothering another group member when none of the rest of us saw it. She was quiet but I can’t tell you how many times after our group time I would hear her quietly ask someone if everything was okay, then watch as that person shared with her what was wrong. I married Kim and I’m grateful that God gave me that experience not only in giving me a wife but in allowing her to model compassion to our group and teach me what authentic community should be about.
Why does small group ministry play such a critical role in the church today?
Nathan Creitz: Today people are craving connection. We have done a great job with programs and events in years past, but now the church understands people’s need for relationships. I’ve served in the Boston area for the past 5 years now after serving in the South for about 6 years in ministry. A lot is different, but a lot is the same. Sure, I’m more likely to interact with atheists and wiccans in Boston, but there is a universal need for intimacy that can be found anywhere you go in the world. We were made for fellowship and community.
You can get camaraderie by going to a football game with some friends. You can develop friendships by going on a trip together. You can develop your social life by going to parties. But no other social gathering promises as much as small group ministry promises. Sure, it’s never perfect, but for those of us working in small groups, we truly believe that God wants us to be fully grafted into the Body and that we do that through intentional, personal, and consistent interaction with a smaller, more intimate group of people. Small group ministry is vital to the health of the church because the leaders are aware that our group may just be the context where someone can find, build, or restore her relationship with God and with others.
Website: churchethos.com
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