Seven questions that will lead to effective small groups.
by Jeffrey Arnold
John 15:1-17; Acts 2:42
1. What is the vision for small groups at our church? This question is fundamental. Answering it requires asking two more questions. First, what is our overall vision for what small groups can and will do in our church? (And, What is our biblical basis?) Second, what kinds of people in our church can and must be reached by the small group ministry?
Before you start a small-group ministry make sure you believe in it.
by Brett Eastman
So many of us have been there—you wake up in the middle of the night feeling pulled toward starting a small group ministry at your church. But by morning you still have no clue how to go about it.
I'll tell you this: If you're a pastor wondering how to go about launching a small group ministry, start by asking yourself, "Is a small group ministry something I truly value and can excite others with?" ...
And why they are appealing to more and more believers
Elmer Towns, Ed Stetzer, and Warren Bird
Why do individuals leave the institutional church to join smaller house churches? What brings them to seek the face-to-face community of a Koinos church? Usually they do so in a desire to experience closer fellowship with other believers. Some have left the large megachurch or the urban downtown church; others have left the average neighborhood church. But one of the main reasons they leave is because ...
Does worship have a place in small groups? Or does it belong only in the church building on Sunday mornings?
The Samaritan woman in John 4 might be able to answer that question for us. At one time she believed worship could happen only in a specific place (v. 19). Jesus corrected her: "A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are ...
An oldie, but a goodie, about the cell group movement.
Jay Firebaugh
This book is an oldie (1981) but goodie! Successful Home Cell Groups gives the story of where the whole cell/small groups movement began, telling of Yonggi Cho's beginnings and his development of making cells the central element of the church.
In 1964 Yonggi Cho was on the way to his goal of having the largest church in Korea. That's when God stepped in and began the process of breaking him. "When ...
Birthing a new small group can be exciting; it can also be painful.
Murphy Belding
Birthing—that is, multiplying—a new small group can be one of the most exciting events in the Christian life. It can be a painful experience too. Leaving our Christian friends who have shared our lives is tough. The process is much easier if we focus on others instead of ourselves. Here are some thoughts to keep in mind as you birth your next small group.
Some ideas to bring fun, adventure, and community to your small group.
Tami Rudkin
It's been a long year. You've led your group with passion, but now what was once a burning flame of excitement is barely a smoldering ember. If your group is anything like mine it is made up of all kinds of people, who carry all kinds of burdens. Someone in your group may be living through a financial nightmare. Someone in your group could be failing at their job. Someone in your group is possibly ...
Introducing the concept of community into a church can be painful, but there are ways to ease the pains.
Sue Skalicky
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This process of growth is also true for the church.
I have spent the last six months consulting with several local churches interested in beginning a small group ministry. This has posed a new challenge for me. My previous experience had taken place in churches with an existing small group ministry. But I have enjoyed the challenge and have learned a lot more about growing pains along the way.
Effective and lasting change comes through the process of identifying, joining, encouraging, and then changing direction.
Brian Pierce
Remember the first time you rode your bike "solo," without training wheels or the steadying hand of a parent? What excitement! It's the same feeling when you begin a new ministry. Your future is exciting and full of promise. That first solo ride and that first day in your new ministry have other similarities. Take for example the turn you had to make at the end of the street. If you just turned the ...
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