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Six Types of Small Groups to Help ChurchesAn excerpt from Leadership Handbook of Outreach and Care.Bill Donahue, Brett Eastman, Douglas J. Brouwer, Roger Razzari Elrod, James E. Martin, Charles Ver Straten| Topics: | Cell groups, Community, Curriculum, Fellowship, Home groups, Leadership, Objectives, Planning, Relationships, Small group coach, Small group leader, Small groups |
| Filters: | Bible study, Church staff, Discipleship, Elder, Pastor, Shepherd, Small groups |
| Purpose: | Fellowship |
| References: | Acts 2:42-47 , 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Hebrews 10:24, James 5:16 |
| Date Added: | July 12, 2007 |
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"None of us will ever forget this man who was totally committed to putting God first, a man whose humble life combined muscular Christianity with radiant godliness." That's how David J. Michell described Eric Liddell, the missionary to China whose life was dramatized in the award-winning movie "Chariots of Fire." Liddell died in a Japanese prison camp in 1945, but his legacy of muscular Christianity and godliness far outlasts the vapor that was his earthly life.
Producing Muscular Christians
Disciplemaking groups should aim at producing Eric Liddells—men and women of spiritual muscle, who learn personally from the Master as they walk daily with him. Such disciples live by the Word, contribute to the work of the church, and influence the world for the cause of the gospel. To develop successful disciplemaking groups, take these four steps:
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Create a vision for disciplemaking. The vision you hold out to your group members must be worth significant sacrifice in time and energy. "Changing the world, one life at a time" or "Turning ordinary people into extraordinary disciples" would make good goals, for example. We light fires in people's souls when we find a slogan, theme, or logo that captures the passion of disciplemaking and then use it to impart a world-changing vision.
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Set up a structure that serves. A disciplemaking vision must be accompanied by a ministry structure that serves people; otherwise we have fuel without a rocket. Leaders must be given appropriate spans of care (from four to ten people) to avoid burnout. In addition to discipling members, leaders can multiply their ministry by mentoring an assistant or apprentice who will one day lead a group. To prevent abuses of power, we must model servanthood and avoid hierarchies (for example, do not make the apprentice role a "promotion").
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Develop a process that produces your product. Drawing on insights from the Scriptures, each church must define what it means by a disciple and then develop a process that helps produce such a person. For example, we can ask about our disciple-products: Are they using their spiritual gifts by serving in a meaningful ministry? Do they regularly support the work of the church? Are they growing in grace and learning the Scriptures? Have they begun to walk with Christ without being externally motivated? Are they growing more obedient to Christ as they learn more about him?
In light of such questions about our discipleship goals, homework assignments should emphasize quality devotional times and personal spiritual disciplines. Praying, journaling, meeting with unchurched friends, and serving others make excellent homework and directly fulfill the Great Commission.
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Equip leaders and release them for ministry. Disciplemaking groups face two main challenges: the support and care of leaders, and the potential for groups to become ingrown. To support leaders, we can hold regular meetings for encouragement, problem solving, and training in areas of group process, listening skills, care giving, leading dynamic discussions, developing apprentice leaders, and mastering spiritual disciplines.
Fully equipped leaders can keep groups from becoming ingrown by making sure their groups add new members at strategic times throughout the group cycle, until a group reaches the maximum size of ten members. At the completion of the cycle, the apprentice can begin a new group.
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