Which Small-Groups Model Is Right for You?

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Keep reality in check as you answer these important questions.

Jim Egli | posted 3/30/2009

Topics:	Infrastructure, Launching, Models, Organization, Strategy
Filters:	Director, Pastor, Start
Purpose:	Discipleship
References:	Exodus 18:13-27
Date Added:	March 30, 2009

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I've concluded that small-group models are a lot like diets. Everyone is looking for the magic diet that will help them lose weight, feel great, and stay healthy for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, almost any diet will work in the short term, but seldom does a diet bring the long-term results that you seek. To be healthy and trim takes discipline and a discovery of what works for you, personally. There are no quick solutions that bring lasting results.

Like the person that jumps from one diet plan to another elusively looking for the one that really works, many churches jump from one small-group model to another—and are often disappointed. If only it were as simple as reading the right book or going to a 3-day conference.

Cautions About Small-Group Models

Here are my observations and cautions about any small-group model:

All models look like the ultimate model when you are reading a book or attending a conference and listening to the person that designed it.
Understand that following innovators can be a little risky. Many books outlining small-group models are written very soon after the model is first envisioned. Very seldom do the books outline a model that has stood the test of time. In fact, it is common for the books to propose things that are not yet tested but are only theory at the time the book is written! And the ultimate irony is that by the time you pick up a book and start implementing its concepts, the model church may have already abandoned certain parts of the model—or the whole thing altogether.
Any model will work for about 10–18 months.
Some ideas that work great in the short run actually work against long-term success. For example, there is currently a very popular trend to lower the qualifications for small-group leaders in order to increase the number of groups. So, instead of looking for "small-group leaders," churches recruit hosts that know how to work a DVD player. Such a strategy might give you a lot of bang this month, but long-term growth in small groups requires committed leaders and a thoughtful leadership-development strategy with an integrated support system.
As helpful as small-group books and conferences are, too often they fail to clearly tell you the things beyond the basics that are essential to long-term success. These can include dynamic leadership meetings, quality training, and proactive coaching.

Finding the Right Model for Your Church

Still, it is often helpful (and even necessary) for church leaders to operate under some kind of structure, instead of trying to figure out everything for themselves. So what model is best for you? Or, perhaps better put, what models can your church learn the most from?

Here are the questions that you might find helpful in making this important decision:

What is your ecclesiology or theology of the church? If you think "church" is a Sunday morning service and "small groups" are a recent strategy used to improve assimilation, that will lead you to a different answer than if you think small groups of believers meeting in homes were central to New Testament Christianity in the 1st and 21st centuries. So, what is "church"? What do you really believe?
What is the purpose of a small group? Is it a once-a-week meeting? Or is it a group of believers who share life together throughout the week?
What happens when a small group meets? Is it a Sunday School class moved into a home? How does Christ's life and the Holy Spirit's direction intersect with people when they gather in Jesus' name?

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William Barnett

April 09, 2009 7:04am

Great discussion starter for any small group ministry team for formation and evaluation of their system. I think it made me want us to clarify what "works" means for our small group ministry.