Small Group Culture

"I believe that the theological recovery of this idea of 'the church of the house' is one of the most important tasks of our generation. Whereas the organization is an optional extra...the cellular structure of the church will be rediscovered as a necessity of its life..." - John A. T. Robinson, in On Being the Church in the World

Most likely, you have some sort of structure at your church for small groups. This could be a traditional Sunday school class, mid-week home group, or Sunday evening life group. While venues differ, the overall purpose of small groups seem to be the same…developing relationships and encouraging community. In my two years as the National Young Adult Ministries Coordinator, I cannot recall a growing ministry that does not encourage small groups.

In the early “house churches” described by Paul in Romans 16, relationship and community were almost always established in someone’s house (typically over a meal). During the first two centuries of the Christian movement, church buildings did not exist so it was necessary for people to meet in homes. It was under the “house church” format that the early church grew so rapidly. It’s safe to say that it’s no coincidence that we are seeing similar “success” all over the world of those who use small groups as their primary method for developing relational connection. It's also no wonder why church growth is so significant where small groups are so evident.

The “G12” life group approach in Colombia has grown from 600 small groups to well over 50,000 in 5 years. In Cuba, where church construction is forbidden, the Assemblies of God church has grown from 9,000 to over 500,000 in 20 years and has well over 3,000 house churches. Dr. Yonggi Cho pastors the largest church in the world in Seoul, Korea. However, because the church is built on the home group model, he describes it as both the largest and the smallest church in the world. In addition, the Hosanna World Outreach Centre in New Zealand is not only the fastest growing church in New Zealand, but also the youngest demographically and is organized specifically through small groups. Their pastor Josh Avia lays out their effectiveness with this simple statement, “We are a cell church where everybody does everything.”

Small groups where all members participate equally and as directly as possible are being proven to be more effective for life transformation then large gatherings. We often think of small groups as being part of the church, however, the New Testament church was a small group. In other words, instead of having our small groups serve the Sunday morning service, the Sunday morning service should serve our small groups.

What Does a Healthy Small Group Look Like?

There is currently a huge emphasis on leadership in church culture. While leadership in the church is extremely important as Paul does address in his letters, the overarching theme and emphasis of his letters to the church is for all members, not just those called to be leaders. Paul expects “ordinary” church members to be mature enough to sort out their own relational issues and gives plenty of guidelines to do so. The goal is authentic community with every believer, no matter what their spiritual gift may be. Paul continuously emphasizes shared responsibility as being true community. Every person is to serve with their gifts to build up believers and to advance the kingdom of God.

I find Paul’s letter to the Ephesians as being a significant tool when figuring out the purpose of small groups (the church). Almost the entire letter is dedicated to instructing the church in God’s purpose. Perhaps the most valuable passage of scripture in determining a metric for small groups is found in Ephesians 4:11-13, 16 –
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

A small group should be…
Preparing all people for works of service – corporately and individually
Promoting unity in faith and knowledge of God – prayer, doctrine, theology
Producing spiritual maturity – transparency, confession, repentance
Progressing in love – loving God and loving our neighbor

How Does This Happen?

An effective functioning small group does not filter down through leadership, but comes through the supporting ligaments. The body is held together by people doing what they are gifted to do. It’s mainly through the interaction of every person that the Holy Spirit can truly become evident. This structure is so vital for today’s generation of young adults and it’s so important for the leader to recognize and pull the gifts and abilities out of people. Young adults don’t need an authority figure to access information, but they are interested in authority figures who can help them identify gifts which can produce restoration. In other words, healthy small groups are less about talking and more about doing and being.

Here are few things you can either begin or continue doing…

Get your small group involved in community service. Once you involve yourself in something corporately, you will be more apt to begin participating in works of service individually. Eventually, it will become less of an event and more of a lifestyle. Your goal should go from doing a service from being a service.

Attempt to get your small group unified doctrinally. Sometimes we assume that disagreeing about something means that we are not unified, however, some disagreement is healthy. Ultimately, focus more on how you live out the scriptures and less about how you exegete the scriptures. We can certainly find some common ground regarding the core foundations of grace, forgiveness, repentance, and prayer.

Model genuine repentance. Young adults are sometimes too authentic (if there is such a thing). It’s important for leaders to demonstrate how transparency can be managed in a healthy way. Be open about sin and repentance, however, don’t fall into the trap of glamorizing sin. The goal is spiritual maturity, not a misguided message of grace.

Commit to being a small group that is identified by your love for God and each other. Others should be jealous of the way your small group loves. Consistently communicate and demonstrate love. Love doesn’t mean never hurting someone’s feelings. Love is accountability and many things will need to be addressed. For example, gossip and slander should not be tolerated.

In can be difficult to facilitate a small group and to manage young adults through the complexities of life. I encourage you, however, to experiment with something. It's better to try something than to do nothing. When something is an experiment, you cannot fail.