A simple definition of a church small group is a sub-group within the church of a respectively small percentage of the body, surrounding a specific characteristic or goal.
Who is in a church small group
A church small group is a gathering of a subset of the church based upon some predetermined criteria. Some common differentiations include things like life stages (young couples/families, college and career, or retired), sometimes the separation is based on gender (men’s or women’s groups). Often they are established based on geographic and logistical considerations (morning coffee or after-work evening groups, Northside or downtown groups). These subsets of the church function to offer a range and sense of inclusivity and fellowship that usually isn’t possible with the vast spectrum of church attendees’ life considerations and the sheer number of people in many churches.
What is the purpose of small groups
The purpose of a small group is to establish and cultivate the following ideals:
- Fellowship
- Engagement
- Discipleship
- Opportunity
- Effective Service
Fellowship
Fellowship within a small group os what most people think of first when it comes to “getting together”. While hanging out with friends is wonderful, most small groups should strive to push past the superficial pleasantries. This deeper dive into the lives of those within the small group allows for a more rich experience than one can find alone.
Deeper Relationships
Deeper relationships are a huge part of joining a small group. These relationships can only be fostered through familiarity and time. It is nearly impossible to immediately bond with a stranger, and then immediately express your deepest shame, guilt, or fears. While simultaneously enjoying the comfort and compassion expressed by their very presence.
Joy, Thanksgiving, and Praise
Joy, thanksgiving, and praise are their peak when shared with close friends and family. In today’s society the definition of “family” is becoming more fluid, but for many “family” is who they chose to spend time with.
This fellowship is impossible to achieve on a church-wide corporate level. This requires the true intimacy of stories over a meal, tear covered faces, and hours of quiet, comfortable silence to truly achieve. That is a lot to fit into an hour every Sunday.
Engagement
Engagement is what is called for throughout the Bible. Whether it is to preach, battle, or serve the Bible is about the actions of men in the service of God. This engagement is often bolstered and expanded within a smaller group of people by our side as compared to being just a face in the crowd.
Accountability
Ultimately we are all accountable to God above all else. Practically speaking accountability is only a possibility when there is someone to whom we are accountable. This relationship is only established through time and content. Hours of watching football does not establish the same depth of relationship as hours of prayer and biblical study.
Within the entire church body, it would be impractical and frankly unimaginable to have a man stand up during service and express a laundry list of sins. However many acts of infidelity, lust, anger, theft, and others have been discussed in a one-on-one setting on a park bench or in a coffee house. This direct and personal connection allows for the elimination of the facade many will wear on Sunday morning to greet “church friends”.
Personal Growth
Personal growth should be the goal for all faithful Christians. Not growth for growth’s sake, but to better equip yourself for the service to Christ.
This growth can take many forms. Often we think of the theological skills and information we can get from church involvement. While this is truly remarkable and a major blessing it is not the only form of personal growth.
Practical personal growth is usually gained through investment in the daily lives of others. We are unable to see ourselves, we need a mirror or someone else to find what is often wrong.
Discipleship
We define discipleship as “spiritual growth through personal involvement”. This discipleship can take on many forms and roles within the church, however, it undoubtedly passes through the small group at some point. Generally speaking, the person who is doing the discipling is an experienced and knowledgable (mature) member of the church, and the person being discipled is some way less spiritually mature.
Strengthening the Saints
The beauty of the Church that Christ gave to us as believers is that we do-not and should-not try to go-it-alone.
17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17
This method of the church building up the church has been proven successful throughout history. The best place to learn and grow to be a godly man… is from a godly man. This is where many small groups will have some of the aforementioned criteria. It allows people to readily find a version of themselves a few years apart; then pouring into them, what they wish they had known at that age.
Slaying of Sins
Within this direct fellowship and discipleship model, the topic of spiritual growth and struggle should come up. This is where the more spiritually mature discipler can help be a guide towards sanctification. This more intimate environment affords the opportunity for both parties to express struggles of any type. This is where spiritual and personal accountability truly flourishes.
Opportunity
Often one of the biggest stumbling blocks for involvement in the church is the limited hours of service. If you are unable to make the ONE Sunday morning service, better luck next week. This lack of opportunity can be more readily offset through the implementation of various small groups throughout the week.
* A small group meeting should not replace the corporate worship as part of the church body as a regular occurrence.
Flexibility
In today’s society, we no longer play the 9-5 game for the most part. Especially when we consider the younger members of the church, odd hours, long shifts, and variable schedules are the norm, not the exception.
By allowing for some small group gatherings at various times throughout the week, many of that prior group may be able to attend and participate within the body.
Consistency
Speaking for myself, consistency in church attendance is a struggle. I currently work fulltime, have 2 toddlers (who seem to live with colds), and a wife who works variable night shifts as a nurse. Often the best I can muster is a Wednesday night Men’s group, or a Saturday morning coffee meeting with a small group of men.
Josh – theChurchadmin
The fact that I can miss some Sunday morning services and still engage with the body is a huge deal for me. While I hate to miss church, I can’t imagine missing out on my family group and discipleship connections. They just may have to happen midday on a weekday sometimes.
Effective Service
Too many chefs in the kitchen is an old adage, but a great one, when discussing actually getting something done.
Often when a churchwide email or signup list goes out in general communication, you will struggle to achieve the desired result. Consider the last “church work day” you held. My guess is that during the announcements in the service everyone was very keen on the idea of spending a Saturday rehabbing the church. However, come Saturday morning, you arrive to find a mostly empty parking lot and a frazzled few who actually showed up.
The problem isn’t a faithless church full of slackers, the problem is poor communication and follow up due to the inefficiency of the system.
One thing I learned working as a Paramedic, never say “someone help”. Instead, make solid eye contact and point directly at them, then clearly state the request “call for backup” and follow up by having them repeat it back to you.
Josh – TheChurchAdmin
Something my church has started doing is assigning ministry outreach or roles to a specific family group or small group to increase the effectiveness. This way a single small group leader can take a specific request, and then contact the appropriate people within the group… the appropriate way!
*Every group has one person with a specific communication consideration.
What Are the Negatives of Small Groups
Clique Formation
It is CRITICAL that the formation of group-specific cliques be stopped early and often. This is how churches fracture. Often with little differences within a healthy church, this cancer will form and begin to divide people. This could be anything from theology to age-related considerationS.
CLIQUES KILL CHURCHES!!!
It is normal to spend time and gravitate towards those you spend more time with. As someone who has read this far, sit SOMEWHERE new this Sunday. This subtle gesture will go a long way towards keeping the cliques away.
Church Out of Sync
This doesn’t have to be something overtly sinister. Often it happens when there is, again, a breakdown in communication. This is where assigning roles, tasks, and oversight to specific group leaders can help with congregation-wide coordination.
A body doesn’t function to well if the head and the heart go in different directions (something else I learned as a Medic).
How Big is Too Big For a Small Group
There isn’t a hard and fast rule or percent to determine the effective size of a small group vs a large group. Usually, logistics determine our maximum size for groups. If another family can fit in the living room for bible study, then that’s great. We usually add another group when the locations or leadership reach 75-80% capacity. This allows for visitors and some short term future-proofing.
What Kind of Small Groups Should a Church Avoid
As a general rule, avoid any groups that don’t edify the body. For example, I would strongly suggest avoiding:
- groups with a theological difference from the main church body
- groups dedicated to a specific “non-religious” topic
- groups dedicated to a specific sin
- this will often cause others at different points of recovery to stumble or relapse, better for 1-1 discipleship
- groups without a church appointed and qualified leader
- ANY group that becomes burdensome to the remainder of the church
Conclusion
A small group within a church is just that a couple of people from the same church. What is should be, however, is one of the greatest blessings in the life of a Christian.
