By Brian Jones
A few years ago I brought in a nationally recognized pastor to do some consulting for our church. One of the things I remember most about my time with him was a side conversation we had about small groups.
“I haven’t really figured out the small group thing,” I confessed to him.
“Well, Brian, that’s because they don’t work. Small groups are things that trick us into believing we’re serious about making disciples. The problem is 90 percent of small groups never produce one single disciple. Ever. They help Christians make shallow friendships, for sure. They’re great at helping Christians feel a tenuous connection to their local church, and they do a bang-up job of teaching Christians how to act like other Christians in the Evangelical Christian subculture. But when it comes to creating the kind of holistic disciples Jesus envisioned, the jury’s decision came back a long time ago—small groups just aren’t working.”
“Finally,” I said, “I’ve met someone who’s got the guts to euthanize this small group sacred cow.”
I have been leading, participating in, championing, and applauding the efforts of small groups for the last 20 years of my ministry.
But now I’m done. In my opinion, they just don’t work. Let me share why.
A Flawed Starting Point
Church-initiated “small groups” begin from a flawed starting point.
For reasons that still escape me, soon after becoming a Christian at age 18, Deron Brickey, Dave Polonia, Jeff Snyder, and I started hanging out with one another.
Soon that group grew to 10 to 12 friends. We laughed together, prayed together, studied the Bible together, ate together, evangelized together, and served the poor together. Even though we had no leader, no real set meeting time, no agenda, and no plan or focus, it was through these friends that I made incredible strides toward becoming a holistic disciple of Jesus.
And it all happened by accident.
In fact, looking back on my 25 years of following Christ, here’s what I’ve noticed: Every small group I’ve ever been in that helped me grow as a disciple started by what appeared to be an accident.
I wasn’t looking for it. I wasn’t interested in joining a small group in the least. And in many respects, I didn’t even feel a need to grow spiritually.
Most of all, I wasn’t participating in some superficial churchwide small group sign-up initiative the senior pastor dreamed up to jack up small group attendance because he heard church analysts say you should always maintain a certain ratio of worship attendees to small group participants.
It just happened, naturally and spontaneously.
Those experiences couldn’t have been planned, even if I tried. And for the most part, that’s exactly how it’s been happening in the Christian community for, say, I don’t know, the last 1,960 years. That is until we westerners, particularly Americans, started messing it up.
Well-intentioned Christians, armed with the latest insights in organizational theory, let their pragmatic and utilitarian hearts delude them into thinking they could organize, measure, and control the mystical working of the Holy Spirit in community in order to consistently reproduce disciples in other contexts.
Then these people started writing books and hosting seminars. And then church leaders like you and me bought into what they were saying because we didn’t recognize that the same faulty worldview that produced a mechanized approach to Christian community fostered a ready-made market in our hearts to consume their quick-fix solutions.
So we came home, armed with our “101 Sure-Fire Discussion Starter” books and binders full of slick recruitment techniques, and started small group ministries at our churches.
We preached powerful sermons. We cast vision. We contorted Acts 2 into saying what we needed it to say. We blathered on and on about all the “one anothers” in the Bible and about how, if we met one time a week for 1.5 hours and followed a well-conceived discussion regime, we could experience Acts 2 in all of its splendor and glory.
And what happened? You know what happened. They failed. Like big-time.
And meanwhile, while our people were constrained by their obligation to the church and their sense of loyalty to us as leaders, their hearts searched for real community and an opportunity to grow as disciples.
What would happen if we euthanized all of our small groups, taught the value of discipleship and community, and then simply let the Holy Spirit do his work?
Achilles’ Heel
When I attended my very first church growth conference in 1992, a nationally known small group “expert” stood up and said, “The way we say it at our church is, “If you can read, you can lead.” If a Christian can read the questions in our study guide, he can lead a small group at our church.”
That’s easy, I thought. Too easy, in fact. And ridiculous.
“If you can read, you can lead” is a great slogan for people who organize a rugby team from your church, or your knitting circle, or the Saturday morning llama-riding group. But not for someone recognized by the community of faith as a mentor of new disciples.
The Achilles’ heel of the modern-day small group movement is simple: Small groups don’t create disciples; disciples create disciples. And modern-day small groups are led, for the most part, by people who have attended the church, had a conversion experience, led a reasonably moral life, and can read the study-guide questions, but are not disciples themselves.
American churches have lowered the bar of small group leadership to an absurd level. In fact, it’s so ridiculous most churches would be better off not even having small groups than to offer them with leaders who aren’t disciples.
The common argument against small groups is flawed. The problem with small groups isn’t that they pool the group’s collective ignorance; it’s that they pool the group’s collective disobedience. And it’s not the small group leader’s fault.
It’s the fault of the people who installed the leader and convinced him he could lead their group to a place where they themselves have not gone.
Jesus in Your Group?
Would Jesus join a small group in your church?
Think about that for a moment. Forget about your goals. Forget about your motivations for offering them. Forget about all the supposed benefits of participating in one. Do you honestly think Jesus would join, lead, or start a small group within the existing structure of your small group’s ministry at your church?
Of course not. Not a chance. Not in a million years.
Why?
Because while your people are stuck in the “hairball” of your church’s ministry (to steal Gordon MacKenzie’s great line), Jesus would be out rubbing shoulders with people in your community, helping them find their way back to God, and teaching them to obey his teachings.
Jesus would actually be doing what small groups say they want/should/need to be doing, but they can’t, because they’re too busy being a “small group” inside the confines of your small group’s ministry infrastructure.
It’s like a jogging class where the instructor, instead of taking his class jogging and commenting on technique while class members actually are jogging, stuffs everyone into a classroom and lectures to them three days a week and then gives them a final exam.
Disciples are created “out there.” Small groups, if not by their definition, definitely by their practice, all occur “in here.”
With few exceptions, modern-day small groups are great at producing:
• Christians who sit in circles and talk to one another inside a building
• people who read and comment on the Bible
• people who rant about how they long to “get out there” and do something that matters
• people who awkwardly end their time by praying for “prayer requests”
• people who go home unchallenged and unchanged.
You would think there’s a Small Groups Revised Version of the New Testament somewhere. And I quote: “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore stay where you are and make Christians of the people you already know, baptizing them in the name of American consumer Christianity, and teaching them to sit in rooms with one another, read the Bible, and pray for one another. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age'” (Matthew 28:18-20, SGRV).
If the Small Groups Revised Version of Matthew 28:18-20 were the stated purpose, then most American small groups would be nailing it.
In my humble opinion, the Americanized small group is a remnant of an impotent religious institution that can’t transition effectively into a post-Christian, postmodern world.
Thank God small groups worked in some instances, and in some contexts!
But for every story of success about a small group creating an authentic disciple, my hunch is there are three times as many failures (and that just takes into account the 10 to 30 percent of church attendees who actually participate in them).
If we had time to waste, this wouldn’t be an urgent problem.
But we don’t.
Brian Jones is founding pastor of Christ’s Church of the Valley in Royersford, Pennsylvania. He’s the author of Second Guessing God and Getting Rid of the Gorilla: Confessions on the Struggle to Forgive. See www.brianjones.com.
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He couldn’t be more wrong about the effectiveness of small groups. In our church we have a small group program that has been meeting for 40 years and another one for 37 years. Out of these small groups more small groups have developed and the process is handed on and on. These very people see their children become part of the small group that is beckoning them. Yes, it’s center is Christ Jesus and it’s purpose is to make disciples who can spread the GOOD NEWS and serve one another and others who are in need. It’s very successful. Many participants feel that their faith has grown and they feel that their relationship with Jesus has depened. They have developed lifelong friendships and their prayer life is very strong. They pray for one another and help each other when there is a need. These small groups have God’s Blessing!
I found this thread simply by doing an internet search for church community group problems and what I read mirrored exactly what my thoughts are on my group right now. The woman who hosts the group at her home is very cold and unfriendly and welcoming to several of the women in the group and it has been so off-putting that one of these women has decided to no longer go back because she thought Christians were supposed to be kind and welcoming. This ached my heart as this woman is a friend of mine who is just beginning to explore the Christian faith and is looking for a place to plug in and feel connected to a church community. And the leadership piece…..let’s just say I couldn’t agree more. Having qualified, motivating leaders would make the group seem worthwhile. Rather the 2 people who lead ask questions from the book and everyone tries to muster up a life experience to share so there is not complete awkward silence. All this followed by a forced prayer time that does not seem real or from the heart. Its been 8 weeks and I want to give it more of a chance because there are some really nice people there, but between the uncomfortable leadership, or lack thereof, and the cold and snarky host, I feel like I am wasting my time and I would be growing more in my faith having a 5 minute prayer with God in my car.
I joined this group to get connected and meet other Christians and hopefully form some quality Christian friendships that would further connect me to my amazing church. Instead I find myself feeling beaten down everytime I leave and its not helping to firm or grow my faith at all.
Yeah, small groups haven’t been a reliable a model. I heard of this one leader thousands of years ago that recruited 12 guys to be in His small group. In the first 3 years they were kinda “clicky.” The small group never grew beyond those 12 guys.
After 3 years the group happened to turn into the most expansive, influential movement in the history of mankind, but it still took 3 years!
I wonder what would’ve happened if Jesus gave up on the small group concept?
This article is way over-the-top. Should we euthanize Sunday services then when they are a man-made attempt at “organizing” people?”
The bottom line is that the largest churches in the world are cell-based, aka Small Group Churches. Usually small groups don’t work when churches don’t know how to prioritize them, train and support their leaders and the senior pastors are completely removed from the small group community (yes, the leader usually needs to lead the way).
I grew a youth group of 12 students in 2 small groups to a youth group of over 120 students in 11 small groups in 4 years. I currently oversee 25 adult small groups that minister to over 325 people in our church. I promise we’ll have over 100 small groups in 4 years.
SMALL GROUPS DO WORK! God bless : )
I would give this article credibility if not for the fact that Jesus started with 12 guys, and look at us now.
What The Church should euthanize is mega-churches of man’s design, and let the small groups alone.
Rubbish. This article is pure rubbish.
Jesus did NOT have a ‘small group.’
A ‘small group’ is not merely defined by the number of people involved, read the article and see how he describes small groups.
Also, the fact that more people are getting involved in small groups, or that more small groups are being created does not mean that they are a good, healthy thing. Thus, “effectiveness” is not defined by numbers. In fact, they may be effective at spreading unhealthy leaven throughout the body.
Please read beyond the terminology and see what is really being challenged here, and see if it’s an area that needs to be challenged in our own lives and ministry, rather than offering a knee-jerk response. If it affects the health of the body, it deserves our prayer and consideration.
@at_brown,
Knee-jerk this, if you can:
When the mud hits the fan, and American Christianity is persecuted, prosecuted, and vilified to the point of imprisonment and death, do you think mega-churches will be efficient in helping us? Do you think they will become havens of Christians, or will they be the first to go because they have made themselves into government puppets through tax free statuses? When their doors are closed, what will the sheep do, other than panic and feel lost?
The simple ekklesia will be as safe as they can be, because they are off the grid, so to speak. We are designed to be small. We are designed to be remnant. We are designed to be local, genuine, and intimate. We are designed to be under the Headship and Lordship of Christ Jesus, and not under a mere man with a degree. We rely fully on The Spirit and not on a session of worship lyrics on a projection TV screen. We cling to Him and not to our idea of ‘church’, since He is the One building His Church and the gates of Hell will not prevail.
For any believer to deride the idea of small groups is foolish and dangerous. It sounds more like Christian Socialism than it does freedom in Christ. Some of us do not believe in large gatherings, because in large gatherings the wolves can slip in like sheep. My Father has always kept a remnant for Himself. Always. I firmly believe this remnant is the simple ekklesia of every town in America, because we rely on Him fully, and cannot rest on money, fame, notoriety, or vainglorious leadership.
Unapologetic? Yes.
Prophet? No.
@David,
But of course. Consider, David, if you or anyone has the ability to determine if the equipping gifts are to be determined as valid or invalid by the words of mere men:
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
Do not let your seal outrun your knowledge, David.
The problem I have with this article is not that he is necessarily off-base, but it isn’t helpful. Anyone who has ever tried to lead small groups and witnessed their success and failures is (generally speaking) well aware of their shortcomings. What I am looking for is something that gets the gospel into the lives of the church. If that is a small group- awesome! If it is 1-1 discipleship- sweet! I don’t care what the format is- I do care that a change happens in the church, and this article did not include an alternative. If small groups are failing or have shortcomings then let’s address those and work together to make disciples in a way that makes sense and works. If it is a blend of things- so be it. If it is an attitude more than a methodological approach, then let’s figure out how we need to be tackling this issue.
The reality is- there is a HUGE discrepancy between what happens on Sunday morning and what happens in peoples lives. That is what we should be aiming at addressing. How can we best allow the Holy Spirit to change lives? How can we best allow ourselves as pastors (or leaders) to be held accountable? How can we best MAKE DISCIPLES and reach those who are lost for the kingdom? How can we best BE the church- loving our neighbors, feeding the poor, and tending to the lonely and needy?
That is our calling, and that should be our primary focus. Yes there are failings with small groups- but those same failings are what is wrong with the American church.
If we are going to use our energy to point out what is wrong, then lets also look for a solution that can allow us to truly follow the example that Christ left us of making disciples.
Joy in Christ
-Ben
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
James 1:27
Unapologetic Prophet,
Just out of curiosity, I’m still pondering the Ephesians 4:11-16 Scripture you referred to. Do we not consider the apostles and prophets of the Bible to be the ones upon which God’s church is founded per Ephesians 2:20? And if so, where are there any apostles and prophets today? Just trying to sort out what is what here. Because IF there are any apostles and prophets alive as of right now—then are we not still living in the 1st century?
Oh, by the way, I too believe in small groups; after all like you mentioned initially, Jesus started with just 12 men. And besides, I like what Jesus Himself says, “Where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” [Matthew 18:20]. My humble thnx . . .
To Ben,
I love your comments and violently agree that there is a HUGE chasm between Sundays and Mondays. Daily routines and business take over, and folks forget what they were encouraged to put into practice on Sundays.
There’s a tremendous shortage of inner sanctification on a daily basis within each individual, and as a result the outer expression of that sanctification through “loving one another” is absent in most modern churches.
Most people are not aware (or worse yet, don’t care) of what is truly happening in the lives of others. And I am not talking about the shallow stuff that gets talked about on Facebook. I am talking about the REAL issues that are happening in the lives of others.
“What I am looking for is something that gets the gospel into the lives of the church.”
Here’s an initiative that originated through the same recognition you had about the Sunday-Monday chasm, and is attempting to provide what you ask for:
http://www.koinia.com
Their goal is to do what you describe: to inject the gospel into our everyday life situations THROUGH each other.
Best regards,
– allan
I’m a big fan of small groups. I love meeting with brothers and engaging in conversation about the Word of God, sharing knowledge, and fellowshipping with people. But, this article brings up a very important point. This article is not so much about small groups per say, it’s about the pervasive attitude within the Church (I myself am not exempt from this) that our priority is to the saved. However, our priority is not too the saved, it is too the unsaved.
And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” – Mark 2:17
(A bit out of context, since if I recall correctly, Jesus is actually talking about humility)
What we need to do with our small groups is to have a greater vision, a greater mission to reach out to the unsaved. We can not remain complacent in our “Church bubble.” We must rather build up disciples to GO and make disciples of all the nations.
However, rather than euthanize small groups I believe we need a full overhaul of the way we do small groups. Check out: “The Master Plan of Evangelism” by Robert E. Coleman. It’s an interesting book which makes an effort to faithfully represent Jesus’ method of evangelism, focusing on the discipleship (or it could be argued small group) method he employed.
Disclaimer: I’m sure my word choice/grammar could have been much improved upon in writing this statement but I ask for your grace in reading the above statement.
In Christ,
A small group leader
We’re really good at figuring out what Jesus would not do but not so good at what he would do. I hear a lot of “Jesus would never” in our conversations on church structure, but there is very little insight into how he would deal with our modern-day “post-Christian” culture. I don’t think we’ll ever know the answer. However, there is something to be gained by looking at first-century culture and how people lived their lives on a daily basis.
Back then, most people never left their hometown and probably had only a few, highly significant relationships in their lifetimes. Today we have countless insignificant relationships due to our fractured, busy lives. At the center of “small groups” is the idea that we should intentionally live in community with a few people with whom we share common interests and have a significant impact in each other’s lives. It’s by no means perfect, and a lot of it is what the people make of it (go figure), but it is, in my opinion, an honest attempt to apply “what Jesus would do” in a biblically contextual setting.
As a church leader, I’ve had the opportunity to be part of both program-driven and small-group driven churches. What I have observed is that the leaders of program-driven churches are often tired, overworked, burnt-out, and lacking in a common vision to unite the programs. They are over-staffed and focus on what’s happening on campus with the “disciples.” They are always hiring more administrators and running off copies to distribute their materials for their programs. Small group-based churches focus on “equipping the saints,” which allows the leadership to build into the lives of key leaders, who, in turn, build into the lives of the small group.
I honestly think the biggest problem some leaders have with small groups is the lack of control over doctrine and teaching they will have. There are many pastors who think they have a “one-and-only” ability to interpret Scriptures and “decode” the cryptic teachings of the Bible. I, however, believe in two principles: the priesthood of the saints, and the work the Holy spirit is doing in each and every changed life. He will give them the tools to work out their salvation without the constant oversight of one “illuminated” disciple.
I think he nailed it. Sure, Jesus’ group was relatively small. Twelve apostles plus a few disciples who followed him. However the first church was relatively large. If 3,000 got saved in a single day, then by definition it was a megachurch. God is no respecter of numbers. He can work through small or large groups. What counts is the heart.
This is what Brian Jones is saying. The number is irrelevant. It’s the power and presence of the Holy Spirit that makes any group effective.
The author uses small groups at his church.
See his church website:
http://www.moviechurch.com/get-involved/groups
I saw on Facebook tonight a pic of a small group doing volunteer work at a mission for the poor in a downtown area.
I have tried to see what the purpose for this article was. I can find none. It is not truth, it is not seasoned, it is not edifying. And the author responds to overwhelmingly critical comments defensively. In love and concern… Pray for guidance before again putting a pen to paper…
I am a big fan of Jesus; although due to my sin natured embodiedment, its safe to say we are all imperfect. By the way how do typical churches start anyway? The last I heard, was in someone’s living room then elevated to a membership of 300 folks or more…Your article made sense, yet tricky to say the least by focusing on your experiences of small group’s victories and failures. You sound like you gave up what God gave you to steward.
I am currently at my tail-end of my doctorate program in biblical counseling; this educational journey did not come easy in terms of life itself and the people I deal with. Perhaps small groups is the same way; we will have a road filled of bumps, pot holes, caution signs, narrow roads, shaking bridge crossings, etc. I save the thought that maybe you just gave up too early despite the years you’ve invested in small groups and threw the towel in. Finding justification to a unsolved problem is no reason to give up trying to find the godly answer that comes from Christ.
My grad school professor heads a congregation in Huntsville Alabama right now. God has blessed him with a church to lead, with a handful of members. Despite the few number that does not stop him from continuing to serve the community. If anything believe this one thing, obedience is better that sacrifice, whatever the Lord commands you to do, do it….that means finish what he has given you from the get go because at the end a genuine prize is found.
Dear Pastor Brian Jones,
I stumbled upon this article, as it was advertised alongside an article I actually was looking for: “How we are to treat immigrants in our countries.”
The reason I was looking for the aforesaid, is because for the past four years, I have been living alone as an unmarried, female, English-speaking, international student in The Netherlands.
For the first two years here, my decision to explore another culture and also gain an international education was the hardest, loneliest, most difficult and regrettable decision I had ever made in my life. The cold, distant, polite-but-sheltered Dutch society were unfriendly, hostile, unwelcoming and xenophobic towards me, my English, my immigrant status and my Christian beliefs in a country that boasts Europe’s highest percentage of atheists – 80%. I can imagine it might be hard for people who have never dared leave their country in pursuit of broadening their horizons to imagine the daily struggles of those who “do not look like us” but who none-the-less are trying very hard to adjust to living in our countries.
Then, I found a local Church initially founded as only 15 members about 17 years ago, who have faithfully served the local community and continued to grow to where they are today: more than 1500 members (in a city of about 300 000 people) and 4 “network” Churches across the country.
I joined the International Small Group, and met other English speakers, made friends, was built up in the Word, attended fellowship, got connected in outreach, and orientated not only into the Dutch community at my Church, but also the Discipleship program, and am now faithfully serving alongside my small group in various community outreach projects. I have been afforded the opportunity to go for training to start international student small groups in my University – through the Discipleship and Mentoring programme from my Church – and work closely with my small group leaders; a Dutch couple who lived abroad for nearly 25 years and know EXACTLY how immigrants get “ignored” and “lost” in the Church system, but who returned to Holland specifically to disciple other immigrants in their country to reach the lost for Jesus.
IF THAT IS NOT DISCIPLESHIP, I don’t know that is?
I have been catapulted from being a lost, lonely, depressed and heartbroken individual to someone who is seeing lives be changed on a daily basis through the practical as well as spiritual work that my small group has offered. Whether it has been someone translating tax forms from Dutch into English, someone driving down to the local DIY store and offering lesser-able people to carry furniture for their new homes, whether it is opening one’s home for internet access to others, driving someone for a job interview, inviting those who won’t return home over the festive season to share Christmas dinner with their own family or counselling someone through a spiritual dilemma, I respect and understand your experiences with small groups, but I have to disagree with your conclusion that “they ALL don’t work” and that “they NEVER have worked”.
When I joined my International Small Group, there were 10 people in it. We have not only separated into 2 groups because there are regularly 20+ attendees, but we are adding a separate one for international students, which we hope will one day also separate into 2 groups. You may argue that we are not creating disciples, we are only creating shallow friendships; but that is narrow-minded and it is simply not the case. There are not going to be 30 people signing up for seminary and starting English-language Churches in The Netherlands overnight, and we are not all going to be Church-planters like yourself, nor are we all going to even stay in this country, let alone enter into full-time ministry.
But, at the moment, our small group is a place where we can see the word of God become alive in our lives, it is a home-away-from-home, it is a place to share a meal, share the word, develop our talents, be heard, be ACCEPTED, be encouraged and to see the character of Jesus be modelled to us (as well as to develop our own character so that we become more like him) and our Small Group affords us an environment where we can intimately meet with Jesus weekly as well as adjust to our new surroundings and grow and develop a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit, so that if and when those of us called to be disciples do so, we are grounded and rooted, prepared, sincere, authentic and effective to make a lasting impression on the world around us, wherever that may be and whatever that may involve.
Of course you have planted Churches and have done the maths, read the reports and counted the dollars; but I am truly shocked that you have transposed your personal bad experience with Small Groups to being an issue SOLELY about the Small Groups. Have you considered that there are alternative reasons that you didn’t enjoy your personal Small Group experiences: perhaps you were in the wrong Church? Perhaps the specific Small Group environment, atmosphere etc was not to your personal style, taste or preference. Or perhaps the issue simply lay with you. I don’t know you and I don’t want to pass pre-emptive judgement, but your article tone suggests that there are social anxiety issues not dealt with on your part. But does that really mean Small Groups should get the axe?
Your article was an interesting dissent, of course, to the popular defense of small groups, but I think your reasoning was very weak. If you have said that small groups have potential to create cliques and exclusivity, or then we could all have a debate about how far true this is, and offer suggestions for dealing with building one another up in the Lord. Had you said that they take time which could be dedicated to other outreach and ministry activities, or that they divert attention from Church attendance, all of these are areas that we explore, consult the word of God and as a body move forward to address; but honestly, your reasoning is baseless.
From those of us who don’t have the advantage of having friends “randomly” but conveniently located in our midst, for those of us who either voluntarily (or involuntarily) become immigrants in foreign lands, and for those of us not in a spiritual position yet to go and plant Churches; Small Groups are still the most proven and effective way of fulfilling Christ’s mandate, as far as I am concerned.
Thanks for the article, none-the-less.
Late to the party here. Nothing new I have not heard. Some good critique and some arrogance thrown in. Guess we all have that.
Nothing’s perfect. Obviously, I have helped thousands of churches and leaders build these – many do quite well, by any measure. Others fail miserably. I learned the most in failed groups, just like a church planter learns much if the first attempt implodes. I think you have to look in the mirror and ask, “What are we trying to produce, how does communal life contribute to this aim, how are groups a part of that communal life, who should lead them, what kind of culture should they create and become, what is the difference between a meeting and a family, and so on.
I fly airplanes. I still do, even though some people flew them into some towers in NYC and killed 3,000 people. Others fly all over the world to proclaim Christ and serve his church. Same airplanes – different use.
Life starts in a small group – The trinity is a small group. The elders are a small group. The servants in Acts 6 are a small group. House churches in China rely on them, rural churches in Latin America do not exist without them. I have been on 6 continents helping churches who use them. Where they thrive, the church thrives. It is not a program. Almost everything you say about groups is true of some churches and some teams and some missional communities (yes, really!) and some faculty gatherings at the university where I teach.
Small groups work perfectly — until people show up. Maybe they just help – for the first time — shine the light of truth on some really self-centered people who would normally hide in the pew (or slouch on the couch) – but now they have to look at others and talk and pray and serve and discuss – no one told them how to do this, their families were a mess, and their schools put them at desks. Now they are in a circle. They are not cool like you – just normal people sinning normally. If you can’t handle that, do something else, some other means of being provocative and intentional about growth, community, truth and learning to love all these people who, it seems, you have great difficulty loving.
Keep trying small groups and keep watching them fail to meet your pious expectations – maybe you will discover a common denominator in all of them — YOU. Maybe YOU are the problem. i know. I speak from personal experience many years ago. All my groups were awful. Then I looked in the mirror and a big part of the answer was there.
I wonder if you applied your criteria to worship services, Jesus’ gatherings on hillsides, his “success” with the 12 (losers all of them), your evangelistic efforts, the integrity of each person in the church, and so on. It is one thing to critique – it is another to be critical. You sound angry, condescending and pharisaic. You might not be that way. But you write that way.
Go ahead and ask hard questions. But do real research – not a few straw men and poor anecdotes. The real research is quite positive, though groups have many shortcomings and many do struggle. Sounds like real life to me.
Bill
You are interesting. You end by saying,”But for every story of success about a small group creating an authentic disciple, my hunch is there are three times as many failures.” Couldn’t you say that about anything (church, business, inventions)?? Do you have a solution that has a 100% success rate. Correct me if I am wrong, but Jesus himself did not have a 100% success rate. If you have a better suggestion, please share….we are hurting out here.
My thought is that it is NOT the small group that doesn’t work, it is the people inside the small group. Your whole premise of this argument is that Small Groups should be done away with. What you should be saying is that we need to somehow move to having hearts like Jesus. What If every small group in America had a heart like Jesus??? HOLY CRAP, that would be ridiculous. …in a good way.
Yet, you don’t focus on the real issue. You blame a small group? Interestingly in my studies, Small Groups are more in line with what happened in the first century church. In fact, if your argument is to get rid of SG cause they don’t work, maybe we should get rid of churches in general. Attendance and belief is on the decline in America. So, using your own reasoning, we should get rid of churches because they are not working.
That is like blaming guns for all the shootings. Small groups are fine…People’s hearts are hard and they are comfortable sitting on their asses doing nothing….Inside or outside a small group.
I think Brian’s point is valid, though maybe a little exaggerated. I don’t understand him to be criticizing all small groups or the idea itself, but the form they often take and that you are not allowed to question it. For instance, in my church we have a small group (of course, our church is pretty much a small group). The small group has not (to my knowledge) produced one new disciple (the stated goal) in three years. We have the same people who would continue getting together whether you call it small group or not, I suspect. But, if I even suggest a change… THE END.
I wholeheartedly disagree with Brian’s perspective on small groups, especially the points below:
[“With few exceptions, modern-day small groups are great at producing:
“¢ Christians who sit in circles and talk to one another inside a building
“¢ people who read and comment on the Bible
“¢ people who rant about how they long to “get out there” and do something that matters
“¢ people who awkwardly end their time by praying for “prayer requests”
“¢ people who go home unchallenged and unchanged.”]
I don”™t know what kind of small groups Brian has been exposed to, but this has not been my experience. Here is what I”™ve seen small groups produce:
“¢ Christians who gather to study and learn biblical principles about issues relative to their lives.
“¢ People who “chew meat”, study the scriptures and dig deep for its applicability to their lives.
“¢ People who “get out there” and work in the community, serving in the name of Jesus Christ.
“¢ People who pray for each other and for the church as a whole.
“¢ People who are challenged and leave with new perspectives that often lead to changes in their lives and how they serve.
[“Therefore stay where you are and make Christians of the people you already know, baptizing them in the name of American consumer Christianity, and teaching them to sit in rooms with one another, read the Bible, and pray for one another.” ]
I”™d say if a small group is practicing this type of behavior, it”™s time to disband it. This is not, nor should it ever be, the way a small group operates.
[“In my humble opinion, the Americanized small group is a remnant of an impotent religious institution that can”™t transition effectively into a post-Christian, postmodern world.”]
In MY humble opinion, many church congregations as a whole are finding it difficult to transition effectively into a post-Christian, postmodern world. Preaching from the pulpit alone is not enough to arm Christians for the challenges of today. Times may change, but God”™s word doesn”™t. The Holy Bible was written by men but inspired by God. These men lived in a culture vastly different from the one we live in today, but GOD”™S WORD and the biblical principles that worked in ancient cultures will work in our postmodern culture. The line between right and wrong has become widened into many shades of gray. It”™s very confusing until you apply biblical principles to the question at hand. For example, a small group for parents will examine basic biblical principles of parenting. They will learn what the Bible says about discipline, teaching, correction and guiding. The scripture will not say “thou shalt not let your child go to a rock concert” because they did not have rock concerts in the ancient world. It will say much on things some rock music promotes (fornication, drunkenness, homosexuality, violence) and what things you are to teach your child. That then leads to an informed application of biblical principles to the rock concert question.
In short, small groups allow for discussion, sharing experiences, praying for individual concerns and digging deep into the heart of scripture through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Small groups are vital, especially when congregation numbers are high. Church growth is desired, but in more than numbers. Small groups working within a larger congregation that is in turn working within the body of Christ as a whole are an important part of growing disciples equipped to take on what today”™s world is dishing out.
I was surprised to see this article in Christian Standard. What a title? Euthanize the Small Group.
Its almost saying kill the Church. I come from India and now Pastor at a church in Toronto. Most of our new churches in India are established initially as small groups and then when it grows it is established officially as a church and the process goes on.
I am thankful that Bill Donahue has written it clearly to bring out the positive of small groups. We all agree that small groups do not work equally in all the places, but that is due to various methodolgy and practices. We try to copy someones model of methodology and fail.
Small groups is very much needed with in the body of Christ for relationship, communication, witnessing and more.
I also completely agree Siohbans article, i can indentity that being a immigrant here in Canada.
I am really surprised by Brian Jones conclusion. It would been much better if had at least given other options of Discipleship. Looks like he’s happy with just a sunday celebration and the mega concept idea.
Let not American Church create another new teaching and come against the NT pattern of Discisipleship.
Thanks for all the positive comments, for those who agree with Brian, its good to give small groups another chance with your own God centered methodology.
Sam
I went to the website of Christ’s Church of the Valley where Brian pastors.
Small group opportunities there are numerous, easy to find, and emphatically promoted. There are even some great resources on effective small group leadership.
Since this article is already two years old and there appear to be no efforts to “euthanize small groups” in the church he acts as senior leader for, I’m guessing he’s a fan of small groups. I’m guessing he used this article (which is somewhat rude and yes, very one-sided) to provoke a conversation. It worked! I guess we fill in the blanks about the answer to the problems presented.
These are important blanks to fill. We MUST “do small groups,” just as Brian’s church does. But we MUST seek Jesus with all our heart and do our best to start-and keep-them healthy, committed to fulfilling the commission Jesus gave us. He brings up some great concerns that small group directors like me should stare in the face.
Throwing the baby out with the bathwater here (actually euthanizing all small groups) would just be stupid. But it is life-saving wisdom to admit that small group *programming* will never be enough. And admitting it can help those of us who are responsible for raising up small groups sleep at night.
We need to boldly preach Christ, rally people into discipleship opportunities like small groups wholeheartedly, and then LET GOD DO what ONLY GOD can do. When God and people REALLY SHOW UP… when REAL COMMUNITY happens… the tool doesn’t even matter any more, it has served its purpose and we might even someday forget whatever programming helped us find the powerful, transforming, missional relationships we now enjoy.
When churches develop small groups, we are trying to use programming and structure to create what needs to eventually become organic to be successful. (real disciples who love each other and reach the world for real, not just programatically) This will never have a perfect success rate because it involves too many human beings who have choices to make. This will always be an awkward line of work, an innately conflicted mission, because it is PEOPLE–not programs–that create relationships. And when those people encounter God and his Word together and then do what it says, friends become… disciples.
So where does church leadership come in? We’re simply setting the table. Our programming is an imperfect but important tool. We’re providing an opportunity for people to follow Jesus together. That’s part of discipleship. Let’s do it with all our hearts, continually seek to do it according to His will, and let God carry the weight of the “success rate.” That weight wasn’t intended for us- it is none of our business and will make us weary. He is SO faithful to continually grow His family. So keep it up with small groups, however fast, slow, or numerous they grow– shore things up and repent when one of them inevitably becomes unbiblical– and let God do what only He can do in your church.
For those who point to Jesus and His disciples as being the first small group to form I would simply like to point out that Jesus spent the three years teaching the disciples to go out and make disciples. It wasn’t to get together for pot-luck, watch videos on how to have an effective prayer life (when most of us don’t even have a consistent time with Jesus), etc. The point I’m making is that most small groups have failed because they aren’t teaching us to go out into the world and make disciples. It doesn’t serve the kingdom of God, but the believer with the false notion that they’re serving God. I think many ministries within the church are the same way. We’re doing all the right things but we’re not doing the most important thing He has called us to do … make disciples. I wouldn’t necessarily euthanize small groups, but I would seriously ask, “What is the purpose for this group?” If the same people are meeting together after three or four years, and there’s no new Christians that anyone has brought into the group, something is wrong.
Soooo……….What was wrong with Sunday night church followed by everyone hitting the local ice cream parlor. What was wrong with Wednesday night prayer meeting and Bible Study with coffee. What’s wrong with Saturdays being the day everyone that could, helped rake the church leaves. Wern’t these NATURAL small groups? I think it’s time to return to the Natural small groups that worked just fine. Sunday mornings was worship and designed to present a clear gospel message. Sunday evenings were blue jean friendly, Hymn sing, in depth teaching times. Followed by an invatation to ice cream at the local best ice cream parlor in town from time to time. Wednesday night Bible study and prayer taught verse by verse lessons and prayer time taught compasion and a dependence on God and a desire to live in His will. The coffee that followed allowed people to talk to each other and start to really understand the other persons point of view. Covered dishes didn’t need to be anounced for weeks because, of course their would be a covered dish for Valetine’s day. There wasn’t a need for a sign up sheet for foods because the women all talked to each other to make sure that not everyone brought potatoe salad. These were NATURAL small groups. This was the body of Christ producing other disciples Naturally. Every now and again someone might just get it into their head to hand out invatations to church or an event. Sometimes the younger people usally, got together to bowl, mini putt or catch a movie. If someone knew someone needed help we made caseroles, bought groceries or did yard work to help out. People did what they should do. Our text book was the Bible. Our video was the older people of the church. I miss those days.
The biggest problem I see with this article ( of which I see many) is the author provides (admittedly) no documentation, data, or research beyond his personal failed experience and his seemingly bitter opinion. Meanwhile, thousands of churches and hundreds of thousands of people have the exact opposite experience with dozens of studies to support the positive results they have seen. This appears to be the handiwork of someone who is averse to change and spends more time longing for “the good ‘ole days” than looking for the new thing that God promised He would do in the last days.
I’ve been part of a small group for several years. I’m for them. Your mileage may vary, but here’s the distillation of my experience:
– If even one person’s concerns are prayed for (even–or especially–awkwardly), it’s not a waste of time.
– If even one person gives or receives encouragement, it’s not a waste of time.
– If even one person is spurred on to good works, INAWOT.
– If one person grows in boldness for Christ, INAWOT.
– If one testimony to God’s greatness, providence, or blessing is given, INAWOT.
– If one friendship is strengthened, INAWOT.
– If God’s Word is read aloud, INAWOT. (BTW, it still has the power to change people, “postmodern” or otherwise.
(Whatever “postmodern” means. Sinners still sin and still need a Savior. There’s nothing new under the sun…)
– If I come to SG thinking about what I can “get” out of it, that’s the wrong attitude; why should I be surprised when
it just doesn’t “do it” for me? The right question is: “what can I bring?” And I don’t mean chips, cookies or coffee cake.
The Lord wasn’t kidding when He said you reap what you sow.
– I look at SG like a football huddle. I trust everyone on the team, when we break huddle, to go out and do what
God has called them to do as regards the Great Commission. Jesus is the QB, and He has the plan and the
power to carry it out. So I don’t worry if the group isn’t “growing fast enough” or even if it doesn’t grow in numbers at
all. It is God who gives the growth–we pray that God will send whom He will when He will. In the meantime, we will
prepare ourselves to be better ambassadors for Christ.
– We speak in lofty tones about making disciples, and so we ought to make them. These new disciples…where do
they find strength? Where are they encouraged? Where do they see the Christian life modeled? Where do they find
mentors? Where can they ask questions? Where can they share their weaknesses and struggles? Not among the
world. Sunday service might suffice for some of these purposes, but it doesn’t lend itself to them as well as…
a SMALL GROUP.
– Eccl. 4:9-12.
I detest the “corporate approach” to “doing Church.” Programs for the sake of programs, stats for stats’ sake. People in this world are longing for one thing: relationship. A REAL relationship with Christ and with others. All the corporate buzzwords and fad theories in the world applied to the Christian life don’t hold a candle to two friends praying for one another together on the spur of the moment, or to sharing communion with two homebound God-fearing widows, or to having a young Christian family over for dinner and a relaxing afternoon. You can have your corporation and all the wisdom-of-men-books that go with it. Funny thing about relationships–real ones–they take time to develop. And it seems like that’s what people these days are the least willing to surrender. We shouldn’t blame small groups for that.
P.S.: Jody Emig, you have it right; I really appreciated your perspective. I miss those things too. People had time and took time for each other. Today, face-to-face conversations with the potential to draw two people together are snuffed out in the blink of a bad ringtone because one or both are slaves to their smartphone. Christians OUGHT to want to be with each other, whether it’s two, two hundred, two thousand, or two hundred thousand. If the Holy Spirit dwells in us, then God the Father and Christ dwell in us. As my dad is quite fond of saying about the situation we so often see these days where people show up at church at the last minute and leave almost before the last ‘Amen’ bounces off the back wall of the sanctuary: “What is it about Jesus Christ that we don’t want to be around?” Eternity is a long time to spend with people you don’t want to be with.
I am thrilled to have come across this article and am delighted someone feels that small groups are not their favorite. I have been struggling with the nature of these small groups and although I appreciate the hearts of our church’s pastors and leaders, I do feel small groups should be an extension of the church rather than the central theme. They are a wonderful way for the sheep to build frienships, relationships, etc. However, I feel the church is called to pour into Ephesians 4: 11-16:
I feel sheep need to be lead directly by a disciple for many seasons before they are equipped to then be disciples and/or leaders themselves. Look at the model of Jesus equipping his disciples and so on… (Barnabus; Paul, Timothy, etc). The reason is because a disciple of Christ is one who has matured himself in Christ. I love hanging with people like this. Ones that challenge me, teach me, and encourage me to image Jesus to the world. Disciples that pursue peace, even when they have the right to cut someone out of their life… but instead, they pursue that conflict in love, in hopes to reconcile. That is the meat & potatoes of church and central to healthy Christian living. We need love & forgiveness in our churches big time!
There is so much to learn from Jesus. A Sunday sermon introduces the congregation to a subject or teaching from our Lord. But, a short Sunday sermon only opens that door. How do church leaders now take that and equip the saints? I feel that concept needs more study, practice, application, etc. That kind of growth is sought out by those who hunger for the Lord…. and those are people the leaders can bring up for a season, teach & equip them…. and then now we have people growing and maturing in the Lord directly by anointed & gifted leaders that are passionate about teaching.
I find when I attend a Small Group, the leader is no where near the teacher my pastor is. I love my small group and the people in it. They are beautiful people who love on each other! There is a marked difference, and there should be as they are sheep. But, if it’s the only social outlet offered to me, then what am I to do?
I think small groups are great for bible discussion, fellowship, friendship, and care…… and can really create community. But, I don’t feel they should be the primary focus or central theme to how the church’s sheep get taught. I am finding that more and more churches are dumping their ministry programs and only offering small groups.
What I am witnessing is that the leaders of these small groups are working hard, getting burned out because they work full time and are parents too. Not all feel that way, but trust me… there are those who get run into the ground. I have seen it and some people are overwhelmed at the responsibility of hosting the group, leading the group, etc. I feel churches need to stop putting so much responsibility on these full time working men & women. Let them serve the church, but to really prepare for a weekly small group is a lot. I’ve been seeing this now for years. It breaks my heart. I would love to see the church open it’s doors back up and give these people a break mid-week.
It is a place where the church’s pastors and leaders are accessible to the sheep who are seeking out maturity. It is imperative they get direct discipleship from gifted leaders.
I hope others who disagree with this article don’t feel that I am wanting to resist change. I am not saying small groups need to be euthanized either. I just would like my church to be my home, rather than at someone’s house. I want to be in unity with my church during the week, connecting with more people, other than the 6-12 people in my small group. I want opportunity to go to church mid-week and get some good Bible thrown at me directly. I want more! I don’t want my small group and my Sunday sermon to be it. I want to be immersed in my church and the spirit-filled life it has open to the community of believers.
The apostles were not a social “group.” They were hand-selected for the a specific office to place a foundation of belief and faith in Israel, then expand it to the Gentiles. Sociology can apply its principles to today’s church groups; the disciples do not fit into square holes and round holes. Church groups often create more problems than they solve. Discrimination being one of them, not to mention how groups tend to “protect” themselves against new information. The best way to “grow” and “nourish” the church would be to get rid of Sunday school, small cliques, and estabish a “Bible college” on Sunday morning. On Sunday night, if the pastor wanted to do traditional preaching, it might encourage conformity to the Scriptures. Christ was the master teacher. He left us with teaching principles. He left us with instructions on witnessing to the lost, discipling, and maturation of the believer. Our current methodologies are nothing but bad habits and are not maturing believers into doctrinally sound, strong, and spirit-led Christians. The worldliness and lack of biblical application when crises arise demonstrate the weakness in leadership methodologies. If the church in the U.S. is ever persecuted like Christians in other countries, you will see a sharp decline in attendance.
You know the cereal commercials where they say: “[Cereal XYZ], part of this nutritious, balanced breakfast”¦” and they show a bowl of the cereal next to a glass of juice or milk, some toast, and a piece of fruit?
That”™s what SGs are in the framework of a Christian diet. They”™re PART of the nutrition, part of the balance. For all those of us wanting more, wanting to be diligent disciples applying ourselves to learning and practicing the faith, it is simply another vehicle to learn, give, and share. SGs should not be an end in themselves any more than your Frosted Flakes should be the only thing you eat three times a day.
If ALL you do is retreat to a living room once a week and kick around random thoughts about scripture, that”™s not healthy. But it could and should be one more opportunity for Christian growth. We should be going to regular church services and activities. We should be out and about in our neighborhoods and our circles of daily influence expressing our faith in action.
I agree with Jo Lee”™s caution about burnout. Preparing a thorough and meaningful SG lesson weekly in the midst of job, home, and family responsibilities is a big challenge. It”™s not for everyone (James 3:1), and leading SGs should not be delegated to those who are new to the faith. We should pray for those leading SGs to be self-disciplined, dedicated, true to the Word, to hold to Jesus”™ example of servant leadership, and to persevere. The same goes for the staff, teachers, and evangelists of our churches. They have families, homes, sometimes jobs on the side, and Sunday seems to come around once a week for them too.
Worldly ways and man”™s “latest corporate fad” ideas are always out there, and can creep into the church. Nothing new there. I have no idea what sociology (just more secular teaching) has to do with SGs, nor do I care. But I do believe that persecution is coming for the American Christian, and indeed, it has in many ways already begun. As Christians, we had better be drawing close to God and closer to one another now, and I fear we are well behind pace as it is. SGs or any other activity we take part in with other believers should help us do both of those things. If they don”™t, something”™s wrong. And if your SGs or other church “groups” are causing more problems than they solve, again, something”™s wrong. A house divided against itself cannot stand.
P.S. For anyone out there who might be thinking that Christianity and the Church should “adapt” for the postmodern world, I would strongly urge you to go to Ligonier Ministries”™ website, and get the DVD set for the conference at which speakers like Sproul and Zacharias dissect the subject clearly and debunk it thoroughly.
Should the Christian understand postmodernism? Yes, absolutely. Recognize the thinking, understand the fetters shackling today”™s lost, recognize the threat.
Should the Christian bow to postmodernism? God forbid.
The author is correct. It does not work. I actually serve in the field and the so-called “disciples” that are produced by that method are extremely shallow. Additionally, in my own life my small group failed me repeatedly, especially at a time that I needed them most. My father died unexpectedly. He was an unbeliever.
I can only speak from my own experience. The type of small groups we try to attend are groups that teach God’s Word, in addition to that which is done at home. These groups have helped me personally, because then I in turn volunteer outside of the small group where the Holy Spirit brings what has been learned to remembrance using it to plant and water in the lives of others, in hopes that they will experience the same grace that has been shown to me. I believe the small groups are good, especially when confidentiality is needed and used to help one along in the healing process in their lives by pointing them to Christ, who is our healer … again, in the same way it has helped in my own healing process. Learning God’s Word and His love for us is healing, not to mention our road map on how we should live and what to watch out for. I also believe we should be continually growing in God’s Word, and it’s just not a Sunday sermon kind of thing. So, the group Bible studies are great for continued growth in God’s Word, so that we may in turn be witnesses in our workplaces, our communities; etc. Small groups are a place where, hopefully, we can be transparent, which adds depth to a group. I personally believe my small groups, along with the teachings that I’ve received from church, have helped to make me a disciple of the gospel of Jesus Christ to others.
A challenging article! One major reason many small groups don’t really work is that they have no purpose other than togetherness and Bible study. Good as these things are, they are often very inward-focused and fail to equip believers to take their place in a body of Christ that is mission-focused. In other words, such groups may be attempting to help believers grow, but it’s often difficult to see what those believers are supposed to be growing *for*. And often members of such groups are frustrated because they want to Get Stuff Done, but are shackled to putting all of their time into groups that are just marking time.
What works much better is where people get together around areas of common interest and ministry goals – and pray, study and spend time together IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS. Imagine if your church’s small groups each had a specific focus of ministry or outreach that they had chosen, based on their vision and passions, and that the teaching, praying, baptising people in the Spirit and everything else that took place was geared to helping them fulfill that mission. These groups would be dynamic and exciting, the church would grow and people would be transformed into Christ! And of course a function of leadership would be to prune these groups and ensure they stayed on track, both biblically and in terms of morale, etc.
Let’s remember: the function of pastors, evangelists, teachers, etc., is to prepare God’s people for works of service (Ephesians 4:11, 12). If service is not a major component of the preparation/teaching/vision, the church or its subdivisions will wither on the vine.
As a case study, Frontline Church in Liverpool, England, has made great success with its cluster/missional “communities,” which are designed to raise up giftings, talents and initiatives and use them to bring change and the gospel to the world outside.
http://www.frontline.org.uk/content/Home/FrontlineCommunity/WhatareCommunities1.aspx
A trend through out these responses is that small groups work because Jesus lead a small group.
What i get from Jones is that he is not attacking growth through a small group, discipleship model. It’s undeniable that Jesus did this in his ministry. What i get is that the mass produced, get-as-many-people-into-a small-group-to-call-it-progress-model. To call what the majority of small groups do on their given night a week, to what Jesus did as a life style for three years is silly.
Are there small groups that are seeing growth and mentorship? Probably. Are there small groups that look like what Jones suggested? Probably. I think euthanizing is a strong word.
I am currently unhappy with what i expect out of small groups compared to what i experience. If does anything it suggests something that is on a lot of our minds. Would it be worth it to scrap “small groups,” instead of remolding it into what Discipleship should be?
I don’t have time to read every comment. Forgive me if I rehash.
While an extreme metaphor for sure, I’m not sure the issue is the euthanization of ALL small groups. But more so to euthanize the idea that by some small group design, people are automatically discipled IF they are in a small group. As Bill Hybles has noted, programs don’t make disciples. And unless they are designed to, neither do small groups.
My issue is that I need the definition of a disciple first. That is, how do we know if small groups or even one on one discipling relationships “make disciples” if we don’t really know what the definition of the idea is to start with. What does it look like when a disciple is being made? How do we measure it? Who is a disciple and who isn’t and how do we know the difference? It’s all so subjective!
Yes, Jesus had a small group and he discipled them. But does that mean it’s a model for us? Could it be that he wants us to make disciples, yes, but choosing 12 (with an inner circle of 3) group style is just what he did? Maybe he doesn’t really care how we do it as long as we get it done.
These are the questions we need our academics to answer – for me any way!
Thing is Jesus assemble the 12 disciples but He then commanded them (and each of us) to “go YE into all the world and share the gospel”….where is the command in the Bible to assemble in our small groups and talk about whatever the topic is for that group session?
This is why there are so many sitting in the Walmart parking lot Sunday after Sunday…..we are all too busy sitting in our “small groups” to be out there sharing God’s saving Grace!!
Well said
Where is the command in the Bible to assemble…
Not sure there’s just one place. Here are some verses that might apply:
Heb. 10:24-25 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (This verse gets used a lot to encourage faithful church attendance, but it’s deeper than that.)
Prov. 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” (No contact, no sharpening action…)
Eccl. 4:9-12 “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him””a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
Matt. 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (I should want to be with Jesus, and in this scripture, as with the others, I should take Him at His word.)
James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”
(When do we do this if all we ever do is GO GO GO…?)
Gal. 6:10 “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Paul instructs us that in all our “GO”ing, we are not to forget the family.)
Clearly, the Great Commission is the prime directive for us as God’s ambassadors in the world. Yes, we are to GO. That is beyond debate. But I would ask: what is the purpose of making disciples if it is not for bringing them into a saving relationship with God and with those already in His family? And what is relationship if it is not spending time together? To restore relationship is why God sent His Son. What do you do with a disciple once they’re made? Some ideas: Go do something fun together. Have dinner. Converse. Praise God. Get to know Him better. Pray together. Share your joys and your pains. If we’re not going to spend time together, (and we ARE going to, a LOT of it–check it out) then really there’s no point.
I like the comment mentioned above about groups needing to incorporate a mission focus as part of their activity. That is something I think the group I am in could improve upon. Put the learning into action. If all a group does is retreat behind the doors and never really comes out, yes, that falls short of what could be. The people in my group are all involved in some aspect of Christian service indiviually, and I know for certain that they are GOING, because the fruit is plainly seen. But it would be good to have a group-common ministry too.
I also like Luke’s comments–they made me think that a small group doesn’t have to be anything more formal than simply two or three gathered together in Christ’s name. We do that all the time, and nobody calls it a small group.
And “amen” to your comments, Alicia.
I am disappointed to hear that so many feel that a small group environment has failed them. But I hear people talk about churches the same way, and I hear people say that about God too. People eventually always fail us and fall short of our expectations. The good news is that Jesus never will. Jesus’ small group turned the world upside down because the Leader was selfless. And with the power of the Holy Spirit given them, His disciples were also selfless. By faith they traded their expectations, their comforts, their desires in on something far greater. May God grant us the strength to live like that.
Dear friends and brothers of Jesus our Messiah,
I appreciate your passion for the Lord and for discipleship on both sides of this coin. Some of you are sharing good wisdom with gentle words and I appreciate that. But some seem to be getting way too caught up in the argument. I myself often wonder, “with so many churches in our land, surely we should be bumping into Christians all over who are sharing the Gospel in public, but we aren’t!” So let’s stop shooting each other. We DO need to be out there preaching the gospel, baptizing, and teaching believers to observe and obey Jesus’ commandments. And I’ve tried many such methods of doing these three, as well as seen many different methods working. Pray and study to find out how God is calling you to preach the gospel and make disciples and do that with all your heart!!! Because, ultimately, all of the different societies, cultures, and subcultures respond to different languages, methods, etc. Paul became “what” to all men that he might “what”? (1 Cor 9:22)
In Mark 9, Jesus tells us how to handle such differing approaches to ministry.
Mark 9:38 And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part.
Now, on the contrary, in Matthew, Jesus points out the ones who are truly following Him (or truly disciples), and if you find that you are not in the gathering team, get busy now for the Gospel”¦
Matthew 12:30
He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
Please keep serving our SAVIOR Jesus, however HE commands you to, and enjoy working with HIM and watching HIM work through you.
Grace to you all,
Chris
I find it interesting that no one has pointed out the “The Achilles”™ Heel” statement in the article: “The Achilles”™ heel of the modern-day small group movement is simple: Small groups don”™t create disciples; DISCIPLES CREATE DISCIPLES.”
Brian is spot on here, and perhaps should have focused on this point instead of venting about his small group experiences. The SG leader is the key to small group success or failure (or any ministry for that matter). As many have already said: it is not the strategy or method that fails, it is people. I am willing to bet that small groups that fail to produce disciples have leaders that are not “disciples” by Jesus’ definition (John 15:1-17). No matter the small group model (host, geographical, open, closed, etc.) or other church ministry (mid-sized groups, SS, worship service, programs, etc.) if the leader is not a disciple he/she will not produce disciples. We can only reproduce who we are.
I am in the process of praying through and researching small groups because I believe they will impact the community we are trying to reach. It won’t be easy and I doubt it will be pretty. But by God’s grace it will help my church make disciples that make disciples.
Blessings!
-Philip
I could not disagree more ! Our church ( before we moved ) had several different small groups that met once a week outside of the church in homes of the church members . Each group met up had a meal , and participated in a Bible study . We took care of each others needs and became more than just ” that family “. We relocated do to my husbands job. We have found churches but the difference is this. They only want to HAVE church AT church . Like church is a noun . Its the building . You go there two to three times a week , you sit still for an hour and a half and you do not dare move . We dont want to get to know you , we want you to come give your tithe , sit still , and shake hands . This is NOTHING like what the New Testament church had . I miss the family I had, I miss the true membership . Im not into church being a noun .
I think you have made some excellent points on the fact that not just anyone should be leading a small group, if you are going to be learning how to disciple from someone it should certainly be someone who is living it and not just telling you from a book or a script what you should be doing. However, I am deeply disturbed by the fact that it appears you believe being in a small group or going out and doing good in the world are mutually exclusive. Yes small group is 1.5hours once a week which leaves the staggering majority of time to spend reaching out in other ways. Also, I don’t think relationships built with fellow members should be treated as trivial. Church is not our religion, it is a part of our community. Building relationships and helping others grow is incredibly important as human beings. We not only need to go out in the world to find those that are not Christians but we as flawed human beings need to have that accountability from out community to live to our fullest potential.
I think the author of this article telegraphs his frustration and angst from the first few paragraphs. Quoting a “nationally recognized pastor” who remains unrecognized and then forcefully states “the jury has been out…small groups just aren’t working.” is just simple proof texting. Where is the real proof that small groups aren’t working- from either consultant or author. I served in West Africa as a missionary for 8 years, and I saw small groups work very well. I have been serving in megachurches for the last 17 years and have seen numerous small groups and small group models working very much to the glory of God AND MAKING REPRODUCING DISCIPLES.
God has given me the opportunity to be a pastor of some sort for 30 years now (I started as a youth pastor when I was 20). In that time I have pastored on 3 different continents and have my share of wake up calls and frustrations many of which are in the discipleship and small group realm. Yet even with that experience I don’t feel I could ever suggest that small groups be euthanized with one broad stroke. Something more is at play in this article.
I wonder about this pastor and his leadership style and I will use his words as my reference point. When he brought in a “nationally recognized pastor” he (the author) admitted that he “didn’t get small groups”. Instead this “consultant” shot small groups down in one swift blow- that in itself is telling of his consulting style. The author then states his raw emotions or something with
“Finally,” I said, “I”™ve met someone who”™s got the guts to euthanize this small group sacred cow.”
Really, you would give a visiting consultant the power to “euthanize” a ministry in your church? Who is the pastor/shepherd of this congregation? This is weak leadership at best. Maybe the author left lots out of his discussion and what the consultant was there to do, but as it is the style of leadership portrayed in the article is seriously flawed. It doesn’t take guts to shred a ministry.
And the reference that we contorted Acts to say what we wanted it say sounds both bitter and shrill as well as flawed. I am not sure how other pastors have used Acts 2 but I certainly have heard most of them mention “broke bread together in each others homes…shared in common with each other..” and did not feel the application to a small group of some type was stretching the verse in any way.
About the only thing worth reading in this article that is helpful is the dialogue regarding the purpose of small groups. Yup small groups should be about making disciples. I have used small groups to make disciples for about 30 years now- hmmm during that time those small groups have given birth to dozens upon dozens of other small groups, built up countless marriages, raised up over 20 missionaries and several pastors, and in general has been the building block for a fair amount of Kingdom work. Were those groups flawed- YES. Did those groups get ingrown from time-to-time-YES. Would very many who were part of those groups say that small groups were failed-NO.
Yes, small groups at their best should be disciple equippers, and as the author has said this rests most heavily on the shoulders of the small group leader. Any pastor who would say that small groups equals discipleship or any other formulaic approach to discipleship has rocks for brains. Good disciples (who are walking in the Spirit and in obedience to the Word) generally make other good disciples. If you expect a small group leader to make disciples then you have to be sure he is trained and living as a good disciple. And this effort takes time and well…effort. The reason so many churches start small groups (aside from real fellowship which is reason enough by the way) is they believe it will create/make disciples. Most of the pastors who preach and teach this (and hope for this) haven’t made reproducing disciple themselves-mostly because it takes time and intentionality. They would rather have a big program to shovel people into with the promise “this is where you will get discipled”. And their dominant view of discipleship is just cranium dumping of information and doctrine with little or no real life transformation or application. These same pastors then decry the failure of small groups and jump to the next “cure all” for disciplemaking.
I don’t believe making disciples can be spontaneous. The Church is too large, fractured, and disconnected to consistently and effectively make reproducing disciples. Some structure at the local level is vital to consistent and healthy disciplemaking. Small groups are often part of that structure. Jesus spent three years investing in 12 to 70 disciples who then went out and made more disciples. He was pretty sure they were ready when he sent them out. Well, maybe we need to spend a couple of years discipling our disciplers before we blithely send them out. Year(s) of personal investment are almost anathema to most pastors and certainly most pastors at mega churches, and it is this attitude more than any other that consigns so many small group efforts to mediocrity and failure. My experience has shown that if a church trains up and releases for ministry well discipled and empowered small group leaders they go and do likewise. Additionally I have found that if pastors (yes even senior pastors) personally lead a small group and personally oversee the discipleship of others that their church is successful in that endeavor as well.
I wish this author well in both his ministry and his journey, but I believe this article does little to assist anyone trying to make disciples or even “get” small groups.
Good points from both sides of this debate. Ultimately it all seems to be about a struggle for power, one which has plauged our church (all believers) since the beginning. Open any good history book and you will see a long bloody chronicle of division and religious opression that dominated much of Christianity over a better part of the last two millenia-all because some people thought their church had everything right.
I have seen successes and failures result from varieties of church activity. I came to personal faith in Jesus while I attended a small group. It was in that group that I was led out of a horrific addiction, and I will never forget how God used that special time and place to change my heart. I can testify that being healed by God in a small group did not produce one of the negitive results that are listed in the above criticism.
I’m sorry, but for me to agree with such a statement as “small groups don’t work” would be both lying and renouncing friends God used to help me. While this article makes some good points, it clearly has presented a straw man argument against small groups. I suggest next time doing more careful research and fairly weigh all the evidence before making such a bold judgment on small groups.
Blessings in the Name if our glorious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I have been involved in small groups & development for over 2 decades, not that is some badge, just giving a perspective…
This was the quote that summed up my experiences:
“The Achilles”™ heel of the modern-day small group movement is simple: Small groups don”™t create disciples; disciples create disciples. And modern-day small groups are led, for the most part, by people who have attended the church, had a conversion experience, led a reasonably moral life, and can read the study-guide questions, but are not disciples themselves.”
Joel Comisky – harped on it long ago. Leadership Training is the success of small group and not simply facilitating leaders, but Disciples.
It’s OK that we have missed it often, what’s not OK is to not identify the “Achilles heel” and correct it. In most church settings 12-18 months directive discipleship would make opportunity for most members & faithful visitors to “learn what Biblical discipleship should be.”
By God’s grace He will have a people for His Glory.
The problem I have with this article is the presupposition that runs through it, that all “planned” small groups (or at least most) are being initiated separate and apart from the leadership of the Holy Spirit. That may or may not be true, but THAT would seem to be the issue; not whether we should abandon the medium altogether. The author makes the claim that the effective small groups that he has encountered all began “by accident”. The first problem there is that this is simply applying man”™s limited experiential evidence to a universal concept; the bigger issue is that the supposition is simply wrong on its face. No discipleship occurs accidentally. Just because man didn”™t initiate a small group doesn”™t mean it wasn”™t intentionally ordained and shaped by the Lord (1Cor. 12:18). To simultaneously acknowledge that small groups can be and have been used by God to produce disciples, and then state that the model should be “euthanized”, is absurd. The only conclusion I can reach is that the author is suggesting that only accidental small groups are of God. But this is poor theology. It implies that God does not direct Christian leaders to initiate small groups in the local church ““ that He sidesteps them in the formation of small groups. But such a concept could not be scripturally supported. The issue is not whether we should completely reject a tool that God has (by everyone”™s admission ““ at least in some cases) used to produce disciples, but whether we need to do a better job in being directed by the Holy Spirit, and in working with God, in the formation of them. This is a classic case of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
I couldn’t disagree more. Small groups in my experience have been a huge part in not only my life and my kids life but countless others. I have no doubt the author has never successful connected to a small group. It does take being intentional and some level of effort to want to connect. Our church has over 10,000 in attendance each weekend and our small groups are the key to connections and deepening our faith. A real chance to find fellow Christians to be real with and establish relationships. The enemy is all about isolating ourselves as Christ followers and I’m sure he would like nothing more than for small groups to disband. Small groups allow men to connect with men and women with women – I know you know we are always stronger together than on our own. I would also disagree with his assumption that Jesus would not have been in a small group. In my humble opinion, Jesus had just that with his 12 apostles. A group of men he directly ministered with a core purpose of sending them out to reach the world. Sorry for my soap box but I think the author clearly misses the mark of the small groups work.