In her comment to my last post on small groups , Fiona makes a great point about these groups being more difficult for introverts. She also mentions the January Christian Standard article on ministering to introverts which is excellent.
Coincidentally or not, when I originally drafted that post I also jotted some notes about the introvert/extrovert thing. I am an introvert and I definitely think that influences my opinions about group Bible studies. (Pet peeve alert: Introvert does not = shy. The article summarizes this common misconception nicely: Author Mandy Smith writes, “Introverts are not always shy. In fact, research has shown that introverts are often very sensitive to subtle social signals and may simply be reacting to information others just don’t see. In our culture it’s a compliment to be told you’re extroverted—it means you’re happy and sociable. On the other hand, introverts are frequently thought to be reclusive, self-centered, or anti-social. But introverts care for others no less than extroverts; they simply show it in different ways.”)
Complicating matters even more, I am a list-maker extraordinare and place a premium on my “free” time, so when the weekly meeting drags on an hour or more past the agreed-upon parameters, my frustration multiplies. Attention group leaders: when the group was supposed to end at 9:00, but isn’t ending until 9:45 because it also started an hour late, it is NOT the time to suggest twenty minutes of prayer requests (“My cousin has a friend, and her mother and one of their neighbors don’t get along, and….”).
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Jennifer Taylor
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amen. i would consider myself a shy extrovert. i would love to get to know people in certain settings but in others i will be as quiet as any introvert. i think that most people who are labelled introverts are really just slow thinkers or people who want to be completely sure of what they want to say before they say it. i will not speak up in an unfamiliar group for fear of saying something that might come out wrong. with my friends i am more open because i have more trust in them to give me a second chance if something comes across offensively or heretical.
your last paragraph is most important. i will not go to a bible study that does not start and end on time. i read a couple books recently, wild at heart and why men hate going to church, both of which make the point that men are more likely to get upset if meetings do not start/end on time. i think that many more people would attend mid-week bible studies if they appeared better organized by starting/ending on time, having clearer goals, and a set pattern for doing things.