We've heard the phrase so much it tends to lose meaning after a while. And yet it's a part of our culture now. Everyone knows that commercial and what company made the term popular. But how often do we actually "just do it"?

How many training meetings, seminars, retreats, coffees, conferences, classes have we been to, but where no one really does it? It's talked about ad nauseam; you hear phrases like, "How do we reach the younger generation?"; "We really need to be involved our community"; "Lots of families are moving into this area"; "We should help the poor more"; "I wish I could get deeper into the Bible." So we pray and teach and talk, and train, train, train, but it hardly reaches beyond the walls of the church, or the fences of our comfort zones.

So, to use an overused term on an old idea, maybe we should "just do it."

From what I can derive from the gospels, Jesus didn't take a long time to get his disciples ready to go. He said, "Come. Follow me." And they did. They just did it.

Paul grasped this idea as well. He'd travel to a place, start a church, and in as little as two weeks later leave them to God to continue His work in their lives. "I hope to come back to you," He'd say, "But in the meantime, I'll write some letters..." He did it. Then he allowed them to do it.

And as messy as it was, the Kingdom grew.

So going on the assumption that many small groups are formed partially as a "back door" into the church, maybe we should "just do it."

Of course we all need direction and insight and teaching and accountability. But those things should not replace, but rather be born out of, "just doing it." If you want to train your small-group ministry leaders or your small group ministry members to reach your community, better equip each other, or whatever it might be, don't talk about it. Do it.

If your small-group vision is to open the back door to the church, then walk through the door into the streets and communities. Go as Jesus commanded and "do it."

Our community currently volunteers its time in such diverse venues as the food bank, United Way disaster and AIDS projects, and astronomy and book clubs. We also spend time doing more "unofficial" outreach such as trivia nights at local bar-and-grills, cooking classes, community kids' activities (which is a great way to meet other parents), local theater and philosophy discussion groups. We don't necessarily do all of these as a community together, but when we meet as a small group we encourage one another to "just do it."

Most activities are only once or twice a month, so it's easy to fit them into our schedules. Some of us are more intentional than others, but all of us share a common goal of finding where God is already working in our community and joining Him in that work.

If your small group is more focused on areas that don't include backdoor outreach, you can still find ways to "just do it." If your group has formed to discuss deep theological revelations, then have other people in your small group teach or lead discussion. It may not be pretty, but Jesus was all about being messy. If you have an accountability group like a men's group or recovery group, allow others to step out and take some leadership roles while creating an atmosphere where it's safe to be vulnerable. One way to do that is to be vulnerable yourself.

So step out and "just do it"! And I hope you've figured this out by now: That means don't do it all by yourself, but allow others to do it with you. Like that commercial we're tired of watching, get sweaty, sacrifice, risk, drink lots of water, wear comfortable shoes, and "just do it."

David Fisher and his wife Makeesha lead the missional community "Revolution" in Fort Collins, Colorado.