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The Vision Behind Small Groups
Here are practical answers to many common questions about small groups in church.
by Russ Robinson
In this interview, Russ Robinson shares his insight on the overall appeal and benefits of small-group ministry. Russ is coauthor of Building a Church of Small Groups and The Seven Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry.
What makes you so proactive about small-group ministry?
I was first captivated by small-group ministry when I studied John 17:11–21. As Jesus faced his death, he prayed for the community his disciples would experience after he was gone. It was a radical sense of community—not just human affinity, but oneness akin to Christ's unity with the Trinity. Jesus prayed that all those who would join the church would find within that community this form of radical oneness.
We see bits and pieces of this oneness when God brings together people who have spiritual affinity and who are ready for friendships that stick "closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24). I don't think the church has yet realized Christ's dream.
What roles are most important for small groups in the church?
Traditionally, small groups have provided a context for care and spiritual growth. The caring that occurs in small groups gives people a sense that someone is supporting them and walking with them on their journey. Small-group discipleship doesn't have to turn pagans into missionaries; it only needs to help people take the next step with God. I've been in many groups, and the best thing any small-group leader did was to help me see where God was working in my life.
Small-group ministry's great, unexplored role in church history, however, has been its potential to provide an expression for the priesthood of believers. Judaism was a priest-and-place religion, and Christianity adopted that expression. After the Reformation, Protestant churches adopted a pastor-and-place theology. Small groups provide a radical opportunity to hand laypeople pastoral responsibilities and to decentralize the priesthood of all believers.
What function of small groups should church leaders focus on?
First, determine whether your church should focus on the caring, spiritual development, or organizational-renewal role of small groups. Our church had a huge assimilation need. People were coming to the church and then leaving without getting involved. We needed to build relationships by focusing on the caring role of small groups.
Some churches may be frustrated about how to disciple the community of believers they've already built. Those churches would do best to focus on spiritual development.
Other churches need to move into the future by training new leaders. Small groups could enable those churches to ready people for ministry opportunities, start more programs, and give ministry away.
Churches need to ask, "What is the entry point that will allow us to make the most progress in our church right now?" Small-group ministry has enormous intrinsic worth and potential, but you still have to introduce change at the tail end of a perceived need.
What mistakes should small-group ministries avoid?
Be sure that church leaders are clear about the main intent or vision of your small groups. Too many churches begin small-group ministry just because small groups are the thing to do.
You have to be able to say, "This is where we're going, and this is how small groups will get us there." When you do that first, you topple many issues. If you're not clear on that, you'll have so many issues down the road that you'll soon be frustrated.
What else have you learned about small groups?
I've learned that implementing small-group ministry is more of a political than a military campaign. My mind-set coming into my present church was, I've got great leaders, now we just need to execute the plan. When I met resistance on starting small groups, I finally repented to our team, "I have had a military mind-set, but we're not fighting a battle; we're winning one person at a time."
For small-group ministry to work, each person—from the most eager to the most reluctant—must say yes to ongoing involvement. We're not conquering; we're inviting people to say yes. At the end of the day, change in the church is as much about relationship as about strategy.
Copyright 2006 Christianity Today International
Interested in learning more about small-group basics? Check out these training downloads from Building Small Groups:
- Small-Group Leader Orientation Guide: This guide is designed to help you equip your church to provide orientation and basic training to new small-group leaders, and to help seasoned small-group leaders refresh themselves on their responsibilities.
- Eight Key Practices for Effective Small-Group Leaders: All small groups look different, but there are several practices that guide effective groups. Learn what these practices are and how to use them to your group's advantage.
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