Why small groups?
1. Small groups foster close relationships.
The small group atmosphere is ready-made for building friendships. People talk
more in small groups of people. People are quick to recognize needs, and help to
meet them. The relationships formed within small groups form a strong fabric
within a church. Relationships that are formed outside of the setting of a church
service, are relationships that will endure and strengthen over time.
2. Small groups provide a comfortable introduction for nonbelievers to
the Christian faith. (Attracts new comers)
The nonbeliever is more likely to ask questions, get answers, and form relationships
with the believers. Small groups are a powerful missional tool, allowing for the
greater spread of the gospel among nonbelievers in the community.
“Leadership development utilizes the principle of multiplication. For example, an
effective evangelist who reaches 1,000 people a day for Christ will win the world to
Christ in 13,515 years. But a very effective disciple who teaches or trains two
people a year to reach others for Christ has the potential to win the world to Christ
in 33 years. As we continue to multiply ourselves, we multiply our ministry as well.”
Bill Donahue
3. Small groups provide an ideal way to care for the needs of people
within the church.
When one believer in a small group is struggling financially, emotionally, spiritually,
socially, etc., it is much easier for the members of the group to notice and provide
help. The structure of a small group is essentially a community of believing friends.
Friends should help one another, especially Christian friends.
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4. Small groups provide a way for Christians to live out their faith instead
of merely hearing more preaching or teaching.
If Sunday morning is for listening, then the rest of the week is for living. Small
groups create a context for Christians to live out their faith in real life.
5. Small groups participate in focused prayer for one another.
Prayer cannot be overrated, but it is often under practiced. Small groups can better
participate in prayer for one another. In one of my small group meetings, each of the
people that were present took a few minutes to tell others about their particular
challenges or concerns. Then, as soon as he was finished, the person right next to
him took a minute or so to pray for him. Small groups make for great prayer
meetings.
6. Small groups provide a comfortable atmosphere for openness.
One thing I like about small groups is that we meet in homes. There are at least
twenty-six references in the New Testament that talk about believers meeting in
homes or being part of a household. (Not all are references in Acts: Romans 16:5; 1
Corinthians 16:19; Philemon 1:2). Homes are usually comfortable places—places
devoid of pews, PA systems, and stages. They are places where people can open up,
listen, learn, and grow.
7. Small groups allow for mutual edification among believers.
It’s easy to depend upon the professionals to give us our spiritual food. According to
the Bible, God gives spiritual gifts to all believers, not just the guy who preaches on
Sunday morning. These gifts are for the benefit of the whole church. Every Christian
should minister to other Christians with his or her gifts. This happens most
naturally, effectively, and purposefully in small groups. Plus, we start to realize that
other believers face the same problems we do. Edification is at work.
8. Small groups provide a source of encouragement and accountability.
It’s easy to slip in and out of church unnoticed. It’s not just megachurches where this
happens. In an average-sized church of 100 or 150, people may be coming each
Sabbath service, but not getting involved. These people may need accountability in
their lives, encouragement in their walk with God, or help in some way. Small
groups provide a way to better meet these needs.
9. Small groups help to cultivate leadership within the church.
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Someone has to lead a small group meeting, or at least facilitate the discussion.
Unless your entire church is the small group (unlikely), there will need to be leaders
other than the pastor. Thus, small groups give opportunities for leadership
development within the church.
The early church used small groups and the church grew rapidly
Acts 2:46-47 - Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.
They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their
number daily those who were being saved.
Characteristics of the early church which helped it to develop disciples
Bible study
Fellowship
Worship (breaking of bread, praising God)
Prayer
Love (sharing needs)
Unity
Visiting one another
Evangelism
Result Acts 6:7
Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied
greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
Acts 6:7 (NKJV)
George Whitefield and John Wesley were contemporaries in seventeenth-century
England. Both dedicated themselves to God’s work in the same small group at
Oxford University. Both were excellent in open-air preaching. Both witnessed
thousands of conversions through their ministries. Yet John Wesley left behind a
100,000-member church, while George Whitefield could point to little tangible fruit
toward the end of his ministry. Why? Wesley dedicated himself to training and
releasing small-group leaders, while Whitefield was too busy preaching and doing
the work of the ministry.
The Adventist Church in South America has a membership of about 2.7 million.
Brazil has become the country with the largest number of Seventh-day Adventists in
the world, with almost 1.4 million members.2 There are other populous areas within
South America that have experienced tremendous growth; such as Peru, with
525,000 members; Bolivia, with 190,000 members; Chile, with 125,000 members;
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Argentina, with 115,000 members; and Ecuador, with 75,000 members.3 Between
1996 and 2005, church membership in South America increased 180 percent—a
very good rate when contrasted with the growth rate of the Adventist Church
around the world, which in that same period grew 54 percent.
Though many factors are involved in this growth, we consider the use of small
groups as one of the most effective. In the Adventist Church in South America (SAD),
approximately 65,000 small groups exist, and great effort has been made so that
small groups become the basis of the church’s missionary outreach.4 Small groups
have proven to be an effective instrument in God’s hands to bring us more growth—
spiritual growth, growth in relationships, growth in preparing disciples, and growth
in planting new churches.
In our churches let companies be formed for service. Let different ones unite in
labor as fishers of men. Let them seek to gather souls from the corruption of the
world into the saving purity of Christ's love.
The formation of small companies as a basis of Christian effort has been presented
to me by One who cannot err.
T. Vol. 7 P. 21-22
Let small companies assemble together in the evening or early morning to study the
Bible for themselves. Let them have a season of prayer that they may be
strengthened and enlightened and sanctified by the Holy Spirit. . . .
If you will do this, a great blessing will come to you from the One who gave His
whole life to service, the One who redeemed you by His own life.
Let little companies meet together to study the Scriptures. You will lose nothing by
this, but will gain much. Angels of God will be in your gathering, and as you feed
upon the Bread of Life, you will receive spiritual sinew and muscle. You will be
feeding, as it were, upon the leaves of the tree of life.
This Day with God P. 11
Six Needs of People Today
-Gallup Poll
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To believe life is meaningful and has purpose.
To have a sense of community and deeper relationships.
To be appreciated and respected.
To be listened to and heard.
To feel I am growing in my faith.
To have practical help in developing mature faith.
All of these needs can be met in a Small Group!
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How to start a small group ministry
Identify clearly the people who you need to work with to start this
ministry
1. Request a meeting with your pastor
Share with him the purpose for starting your small group ministry. Talk about how
to promote it and recruit people. If he sees the wisdom of it then go to the next step
of letting your pastor or both of you share it at the next elders meeting. You will
need the support of the leaders of your church for this ministry to prosper.
2. Seek church board approval
Encourage the Church board members to attend training sessions and to show
support for this ministry.
3. Seek Church approval at business meeting.
4. Start small with just two or three small group leaders that are
respected and trusted by the church at large.
5. Introduce and launch the small group ministry
6. Use Facebook, Twitter and all social network possible
As with any new program in the church, it is necessary to have a good information
campaign among the members and visitors of the church will determine whether
this ministry will be a success or a failure.
What they need to know:
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Why this program?
When will it start?
Where will it be held?
Who are the leaders?
What is expected to happen?
Give as much information as possible. It will help people get interested and
participate. Also invite people to be a part of your group. On average if you invite
25 people for 15 to say the will attend. Of those 15, 8 to 10 will actually show up. Of
those only five to seven will attend regularly after a month or so. Continually invite
new people.
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Sample letter of invitation to small group ministry (Place in bulletin)
There is a group perfectly fit for you! Taylor Mill Church currently has over 250 people
involved in Small Groups and Small Group Bible Studies.
Most folks decide to be part of a group which is close to their home, or close to their
stage in life, or has a particular study or activity that interests them, or is on a
convenient day/night of the week. Our groups are open for new folks to join and we
ask our leaders to be ready for your arrival by having an empty chair just waiting for
you.
We know you won’t be sorry if you step out of your comfort zone and get involved with
a group of caring people just like yourself! We encourage you to check out the listing
of available groups as soon as possible – you can pick it up at the Welcome Center on
your way out today!
Once you have a group have an informal meeting to discuss a meeting location. This
should be someone’s home as opposed to the church. The small group will meet in a
home other then the leader’s or assistant leader’s home so that when its time to go
they can model to the guest that it is time to go in hope they will follow. The home
needs to be comfortable, with adequate lighting and few distractions. The most
important aspect of location is that the group must sit in a circle. Sitting in a circle
includes everyone and facilitates discussion.
Discuss place, day, time and what your study topic will be, the need for baby-sitting.
To be sure that you are studying a Bible topic that your members find relevant to
their lives, it is best to let them all have a say in the topic choice. You could make a
list of a variety of topics and present them to the members as ideas for study. Make
all of your members feel like they are important to the group. The fastest and best
way to do that is let everyone share his/her opinion on what to be studied.
Do you want to start your small group off with a meal or just a few light snacks and
refreshments?
Prospect list: Have each person start developing a prospect list. Even as
individuals join your group, get the started in developing a prospect list. On this list
you will include names, addresses, and phone numbers of fellow church members,
your friends, neighbors, fellow workers, church visitors, attendees of felt need
seminars, interests, former members, etc. It cannot be stressed enough that the
person to person contact always works the best. Sometimes it will take several
invitations to the same person. Before inviting a prospect it is imperative that you:
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A. Pray for each person by name on your prospect list before you invite them to
your small group. Pray that God’s will would be done in their lives Pray that
they may sense God’s love through your call.
B. Invitation cards – It is always nice to hand a person a personal invitation
when inviting them to attend your small group Bible study. An example
invitation could be as follows:
You’re Invited!
To an Open Home Bible Study
A small group of neighbors and friends will be meeting in a home for fellowship and sharing
God’s Word. We hope that you’ll join us.
We’ll be studying:
_________________________________
Your Neighbor and Friend
The Address:
Day:
Time:
Phone:
Telephone invitations are best used as follow-up invitations after person to person
invitations.
Elements of small group ministry
Location: The ideal location for a small group meeting is in a home. A home that
has a cheerful atmosphere, that is well-lighted, and has no distractions or at least a
minimum number of distractions, such as children running in and out, T.V. or
musical instruments blasting through the air, telephone constantly ringing, pets that
become annoying.
Size: The ideal size for a small group is eight to ten people. The group should have
at least three or four people plus the facilitator and never more than twelve,
including the facilitator. When groups grow larger then twelve people they tend to
become leader focus instead of group focus.
When you start a small group you should have a leader, an assistant leader and a
host and/or hostess. That gives you three individuals at the start. Now, three
people are a small group, so you are on your way to an exciting adventure.
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Frequency of Meetings: The group should meet at least once a month and may
meet twice a month or even weekly in someone’s home.
Facilitators: A facilitator is a person chosen and trained who organizes and enables
discussion within the group. It is best to have one main one and a assistant. The
facilitator will also keep a look out for some one to train to take his place.
Host/Hostess Duties: Will open their home to the small group meeting. They will
have people sitting in a circle in order that there may be eye contact with other
members of the group. This helps in conversation and participation. Have extra
Bibles and pencils near by for those who forget theirs.
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Distractions – Be prepared to handle whatever distraction that may come
along so the leader may continue on with this small group meeting
Baby Sitting – May need to be arranged for some groups. If this is the case
then it may be done in an additional room if space is available. Obtain a
volunteer or take up an offering to cover the expense. The decision to furnish
baby sitting needs to be decided by the leadership team before the small
group begins meeting.
Cleaning up – Wait until the people have left before you begin rearranging
furniture and cleaning up.
Empty Chair: Always keep at least one chair empty, to symbolize those not yet
reached who need a deeper relationship with God and with others. Each week pray
who to invite that can fill that empty chair. When the group grows to a membership
of twelve give birth to a new small group.
If you want your small group to grow and multiply, one vital key to effective small
group evangelism is immediate contact of visitors. When someone new attends
your group, plan an immediate visit, send a card and/or pick up the telephone and
call. The say is true: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how
much you care.”
Covenants: Discuss purpose of the group, what kind of small group is it? Number
of weeks you will meet, day of week, the beginning time and the closing time and
where the meeting place will be. Later, agree on at least two outreach services to
benefit someone or the community each year. Get to know each other outside the
normal group setting. Have socials, outings with each other. What happens
between meetings knits people together.
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Leader’s preparation for the small group meeting.
Study the passage that the group will be reading. Read through it on your own,
making notes as you work your way through the passage. Write down your general
thoughts, questions and any points you can bring up during the Bible group reading.
Open the group reading with prayer. Ask God to direct your small Bible group, to aid
in your understanding and to give you wisdom. Consider praying beforehand
privately as well.
Read the chosen passage. Having the group members read the passage beforehand
is a good idea, but it still helps to read the selection during the meeting itself. That
way any member who was unable to complete the reading won't feel left out. Many
times, new ideas and questions will reveal themselves when you read in a group
setting.
Ask open, leading questions to stimulate discussion. Let the other members talk and
generate new questions and discussions, but be sure to direct the conversation back
to the passage at hand if the topics veer too far off course.
Close the meeting with prayer.
A successful meeting is one where the members feel like their needs were met. The
primary way this happens is when the group members pray for each other this
opens up for members to experience power from on high and that God is very near.
Tips and warnings
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Make sure everyone gets a change to contribute to the group discussion.
Remember that your job is to keep the group on topic – not to dictate every
facet of the meeting.
Be quick to intercede should any disagreements arise.
Provide simple refreshments to keep the group members comfortable.
Bible study tools
1. Study Bible
2. Dictionary & Thesaurus
3. Bible Commentary
Remember that groups that start late or last too long are often not successful.
Sticking with a “tight” time frame produces groups that effectively minister to their
members and bear long term fruit.
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Time format for effective groups:
a. Spend the first 15 minutes visiting and reconnecting informally. This allows
a margin for those who might be running late. Build relationships, share
joyful experiences as well as painful experiences
b. Spend 30 minutes in Bible study and discussion. (This is where most
mistakes are made. If too much time is spent here there will not be sufficient
time for prayer and one-an-other ministry).
c. Spend 30 minutes taking prayer requests and personal needs and praying
together. This is where most ministry takes place. Be sure to allow enough
time for this.
d. If you have time left spend the last 15 minutes in informal fellowship and
conversation.
Example:
7:00
7:00 – 7:15
7:15 – 8:00
8:00 – 8:15
8:15 – 8:30
Start time
Visit and reconnect
Prayer, Study and discussion
Prayer
Closure
The number one cause for “host home burnout” is failure to consistently end on
time.
Types of small groups
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Bible study groups
a. Indoctrination (Told what truth is)
b. Serendipity Bible study groups - (Discovering truth through providence)
c. When reaching out to non-SDA’s stick with the Bible. When you bring
books by someone else that will open the door for other people to bring
their books by their favorite authors.
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Outreach groups – Literature bands, Homeless ministry, Sunshine bands
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Support groups – Celebrate recovery, grief recovery, AA, Home school
Prayer groups.
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Nurture groups – Sports ministry, biking, sewing, crocheting, arobectics,
Note: Nurture groups are sometimes lacking sometimes in spiritual growth but can
be spiritual depends on the leader.
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Sample letter of neighborhood ice cream social
Dear Todd & Mary
Hello! My name is Kieth Noll, your neighbor down the street. You are invited to
Neighborhood Ice Cream Social that my wife, Marjie and I are hosting. It is going to
be this Saturday, 9/23, from 6-7:30 p.m.
I wanted to personally extend an invitation to you to join us at our home for this
event. It would be great to get together and I think you would enjoy the opportunity
to meet a few other folks that live around the same area of town that you do.
If you’d like to join us, feel free to give me a call at 253-226-8667 with the number
of adults and children’s ages that will be attending so that we have an idea of how
much ice cream to have on hand and I will be sure to have bowls of ice cream
waiting for you! :o)
Hope to see you Saturday at 6 p.m.
Your friendly neighbors,
Kieth & Marjie Noll
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