The implementation of small groups is one factor in the growth of some churches. Church growth experts say small groups are an important factor for growth, whatever the church attendance. Beginning small groups requires much work, time, prayer, and a vision.
Reasons for Small Groups
1. They provide another entry point into your church. In the past, Sunday school, worship services, and special events ...
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?
Early
in my pastorate, I realized our congregation (at that time about 180) was like
many churches of all sizes—though we called ourselves friendly, we were essentially
a small core of insiders with a bunch of newcomers on the fringe, unable to
break in.
One solution was to start
a small group ministry. A year or so into it, I preached a series "The
Company of the Committed" built around ...
ARTICLE E-Groups Can't find a time or place for your small group to meet? Try meeting in cyberspace. Marilyn A. Yocum
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My ideal small group would have included three good friends: Lynn, Margaret, and Susan. But I figured it could never happen. They were all busy people. We saw each other in church on Sunday and exchanged e-mail through the week, but the last thing any of us needed was another weekly meeting to attend.
The four of us operated in different spheres with little overlap. Lynn was a young mother of three ...
Home Bible studies are a bit like fireplaces; they arouse wonderful domestic feelings, but we're cautious about leaving them unattended.
After more than two decades of promotion in books, magazines, seminars, and classes, the fact about small groups is that few churches can testify to success. Among the reasons are:
We have few role models, at least in our culture.
The literature on the subject has promoted the idea without offering practical methods.
Printer view of these results
