Small Group Discipleship

“Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to Him those He wanted, and they came to Him. He appointed twelve that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach.”

Mark 3:13-14

At the beginning of His ministry on earth, Jesus stepped out and publicly selected His small group.  He selected twelve men who became His disciples. He mentored and trained them over the next three years and then left it in their hands to build the church.  This is well documented in the book of Acts, which demonstrated how they started out as small groups meeting in homes. Let’s explore how we can use small group discipleship for spiritual growth and a sense of community felt by our congregations.

What are Small Groups? Small groups are typically groups of 5-12 people who meet regularly, either in a church, home, or restaurant. They meet to study the Bible, share their faith, and support and care for one another. In the context of discipleship, small groups should always be centered and focused on God’s Word. The Biblical purpose for small groups include the following:

• 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.”

• Hebrews 10:25 – “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

• Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 – “Two are better than one,because they have a good return for their labor:   If either of them falls down,one can help the other up.  But pity anyone who fallsand has no one to help them up.”

• Colossians 3:16 – “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”

What are the characteristics of a Small Group? All small groups need 4 common spiritual values:

1. Upward – The top priority is our relationship to the Lord. Our desire should be to be with Him and to follow Him. (Matthew 22:36-38)
2. Inward – Each member of the group should be committed to each other in love and living in community together. (Matthew 22:39)
3. Outward – The group must understand that they are all part of the Great Commission and be willing to witness to others. (Matthew 28:19)
4. Forward – Through the small group, they learn to be obedient to what Christ has taught so they can experience His life changing power which they then pass on to others. (Matthew 28:20)

Small groups can also be formed around service to others (homeless), ministry (praise team), gender, demographics (seniors), sports, or any other common link. Pastoral support is also important. Pastors should be invited to periodically visit your small group and to also provide training for the leader or help find study materials.

What are the challenges for Small Groups?  Here are some of the key challenges along with some possible Solutions:

1. Exclusiveness – when a small group acts “closed” to others. Possible Solution:  Have an empty chair and pray for its filling.  Also, being willing to split into two groups.
2. Shyness – having group members that rarely share. Possible Solution:  Split into smaller groups of 2-3 for some of the time.
3. Superficiality – spiritually weak, usually wanting to only be socially-based. Possible Solution:  Giving more equal time to worship, prayer, study, and sharing.
4. Leader Dominance – When the leader does all of the talking. Possible Solution:  rotate leadership of the Bible Study time.
5. Personal Problem Dominance – members that regularly dominate the conversation by bringing up their personal problems. Possible Solution:  Giving a mentor to the member with many personal problems.
6. Children – having children attending small group with parents, as they cannot be left at home. Possible Solution:  Take turns with teaching the children or find a youth to help.

Small groups are a wonderful place where people can experience a LIFE CHANGE! They learn how to live the Christian life, how to express and receive love, how to grow deeper relationships with one another, and how to find strength to endure challenges and hardships. It is also a place to worship, pray, and study!

Discipleship is the process whereby people meet Jesus and grow in their relationship to Him and knowledge of God’s Word. Consequently, small groups are perhaps the best method a church has to carry out the Great Commission!

(From Chapter 10 in our Discipleship for Church Leaders™ Training Manual, ©2015.)