03. What Is A Small Group?

First, let’s lay the foundation for developing an ever expanding small group ministry that will transform any church. I like to define it as “God’s Incubator for Life Transformation.” Just like an incubator in a neonatal unit of the hospital, it is an environment that optimizes health. A small group in God’s church is not just some social place where Christians hang out in a holy huddle, “us four, no more, shut the door.”

God’s small groups are so much more. They have direction and purpose. Jesus modeled what God’s small group are designed for as he called the Twelve Disciples to be with him, providing a healthy environment where the Twelve could observe Jesus' spiritual disciplines, his love for the Father and his contagious love for people.

God’s small groups are the essential place where Christians live together in spiritual community, as the church, experiencing the presence, power and purpose of Christ.

In the early church, the small group was the primary place for ministry as believers met together in their homes (Acts 2:46). There, the first believers devoted themselves to the “apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). The result was “the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47).

Today, the small group is still a strategic tool for the church that seeks to unleash believers for ministry in one another’s lives and into the community reaching people for Christ.

The small group is a place of love and caring, a place where the deepest of relationships are knit together.

The small group is a small “spiritual family” where people meet together regularly to build up and encourage one another in Christ. Together they study the Word of God and apply its teaching to their lives. They experience the ministry of the Holy Spirit as they love and care for one another. Healthy small groups combine evangelism, spiritual nurture, and calling to service under the Lordship of Jesus.

So what are the basic elements regulating the ministry of small groups? First the obvious…

Small

A small group could have anywhere from 4 to 20 people attending. Ideally, groups should not exceed 10 - 14 in average regular attendance. In a small group there is room for everyone to participate in sharing, praying, discussing God’s Word and really getting to know and care for one another.

Relational

The small group is the place where the church is able to truly care for one another and meet needs. The focus of the small group is not the completion of a lesson, but the changing of lives. As members of the group grow in their demonstration of love and care for one another, lives are transformed. Much, if not most, of the ministry of the small group takes place outside of the actual meeting as participants become involved in each other’s lives and in reaching out in service to the surrounding community.

Open

Open means that anyone can join the group. Evangelism is the priority of the church and the small group is a primary vehicle through which evangelism in the church can take place. Small group members seek to invite others with whom they have relationships to come to the group. An “open chair” placed in the group circle each meeting is a constant reminder that the group is open to newcomers. As members of the group reach out to those with whom they already have some type of natural affinity the group will grow and see lost people come to faith in Christ.

Multiplying

The small group is sometimes called a “cell” group because, like a one-celled organism, it can multiply as it grows to certain size. This is imperative because multiplication allows the group to remain small enough to meet needs and care for one another. Yet, multiplication releases the group to reach out to new people and invite them to become a part of the ministry of the group. By multiplying the mother group gives birth to two baby groups that make room for other new people. The multiplication process requires each group to have not only a leader, but also an apprentice who is being prepared to one day lead a group.

Total Ministry

In larger ministry settings, it is easy for people to become an audience, observing others doing the ministry. In a small group everyone has the opportunity be be involved in every aspect of ministry, from worship to evangelism, discipleshp and pastoral care. The small group is the best environment for people to engage in ministry as they develop ministry skills, that one day might be used in a larger setting.

Basic Christian Community

Small groups are the essential place where Christians live together in spiritual community as the church experiencing the presence of Christ. They are the primary place where Christians experience a relationship with God and a relationship with others in the Body of Christ.

In a small group, “family life” takes place as believers meet together regularly to build up and encourage one another in Christ. Together they discuss the Word of God and challenge each other to apply it to their lives. They experience the ministry of the Holy Spirit as they love and care for one another. Healthy small groups combine evangelism, spiritual nurture and calling to service.

Small groups are not just an extension of the church, they are the church. Jesus promised to both be present with and empowering His church always

Matthew 28:20 “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 18:20 " For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Hebrews 13:5 “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

It is only His abiding presence that allows us to bear any lasting fruit. The focus of small groups is the presence of Christ in the midst. Everything flows from the presence of Christ in the midst of a small group. It is the presence of Jesus that activates leadership, music, gifts, materials, Bible study, fellowship, warm relationships, and outreach to the lost.

Whenever we meet together in small groups our goal is to be with Jesus. It is not just to complete a lesson, have fellowship or follow a program. Our objective is to encounter Christ, to honor and obey Him.

This what small groups are all about! This is the most important thing! This is what we have to constantly default to, by asking, what does Jesus want for us?

Core Values of Small Groups

The whole nature of the small group changes when Christ is the sole focal point. With Christ as the head, He begins to direct the small group to value what He values and live as He lives.

If we are going to operate as the Body of Christ in Small Groups we must identify those values that characterize the heart of God and are His desire for His church.

The question we must ask is, “What does God value most?” The answer to this question is not a secret. It is found throughout the pages of Scripture. But, nowhere is it more clearly stated than in Jesus' response to a similarly worded question, “What is the greatest commandment?” To this Jesus responded, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

This is what God tells us that He values for His church above all else.

From this we have derived three essential core values that are central to all we do as both the whole church and the home church.

We call it the three loves of the church:

• Love God with total devotion.
• Love one another the same way that Jesus loves us.
• Love those who do not yet know Jesus.

If we focus on these three simple loves, everything else falls into place. Loving God, loving one another and loving a lost world characterizes everything we do. These are the essential ingredients of what it means to “do church” in a manner that pleases the Lord.