Small groups are important because they promote the components that make up a healthy church. They reinforce the culture of the church by caring for a specific demographic like young parents, college and career, teenagers, seniors, singles, grief, and addiction. Neighborhood-based small groups allow for the opportunity to be a constant source of encouragement (both in person and electronically) instead of just a weekly meeting time. There are four factors that are foundational to the success of any small.
1.
Deeper friendships: Small groups deliver
deeper friendships that double as accountability. When people really know you,
your life (and sins) becomes far more transparent. Others learn to read you and
will call you out for those sins, which creates opportunities to deal with real
life difficulties as they surface. This is part of what we should expect from
good friends.
2.
Effectiveness: Smaller communities
act more like communities. That may seem like a given, but the
bigger the group is, the less like community it feels. The kind of community I
am advocating requires a level of intimacy easily lost as numbers grow. You
simply cannot know everyone beyond a certain point, and you certainly will not
open up about your struggles and sins in a large group of people you don’t
know.
3.
Maximum participation: Small
groups give opportunities to discuss issues with others in the church. This can
be discussed openly among trusted friends. Volunteer opportunities within the
church can be participated in together. Lives are sharpened and leaders
developed. Small groups are an absolute necessity for involving as many people
as possible in the life and ministry of your church.
4.
Personal discovery: Personal discovery
happens in small groups better than church for several reasons. You can learn,
ask questions, involve yourself in the lives of others, and generally make
yourself vulnerable among other people who are doing the same in small groups.
You just can’t do that in sermons.
There is no
conversation, no feedback, and no questions. There’s no room to challenge the
preacher or even question any part of what’s being taught. Spiritual growth
happens better with others in community with open lines of communication and
freedom to speak into one another’s lives.
“I'm all for getting
together with men and women in small groups around scripture and letting it
just wash over us, but for me I've been meeting with the same ten guys for like
15 years now. But we don't have a Bible study every Friday. We have a Bible
doing. “ (Bob Goff )[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“4 Reasons Small Groups are Vital to Your Church’s
Health” by Ed Stetzer
·
“Why Are Small Group Ministries Important in the Church?” by Compiling
Truth
This post was Inspired by my small group leader,
Tom Critser
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