Posted on 12/21/2007 9:52:08 AM PST by LouAvul
How did you start it? How do you run it? What are the pros and cons?
Do you have a collection? What do you do with the collection?
thanx
To answer the question, the small group(s) were started by the leadership of the church, making a case from Scripture and providing resources and leadership to get it started.
We don't take a collection at those meetings, that's done in the main meetings Sunday mornings.
As far as content goes, it's usually topical studies. Book or book/dvd materials. They are lay-led by regular folks who have shown the desire and ability to lead the small groups. The qualifications are roughly those for deacons found in 1 Timothy 3.
prayer
worship music (sometimes people come forward if felt lead by the Holy Spirit to read scripture)
basket in front: people bring the offering during worship (not collected)
sermon (teaching)
might be a call for healing prayer or other issues (if felt lead by the Holy Spirit)
might be another song (usually very peppy)
a prayer
then coffee / sweets and fellowship
About 50-60 people
That's a pretty big "small" group.
How did you get it started? Did you all break off from a larger denomination? Or are you still affiliated with a larger denomination/church group?
We had one at our home for a decade, plus. Started out with our (then) church, which had about 6 house-churches, but it ended up with people from many churches. We did not do a collection. We always did food — sometimes I would make spaghetti, often people would bring desserts.
We had worship, prayer time, some sort of teaching (Biblical, but not really structured, more Spirit-led). And then we would break into small groups and pray for each other, asking the Holy Spirit’s guidance. This was the best part. No, the whole evening was wonderful. People brought friends who needed prayer, might not have even been Christians. We also booted a few out.
It was the highlight of all of our weeks. People still come visit us when they are back in town, we all got so close.
One thing I have heard, tho, at our current church — the last time they had home meetings, somebody attended who later came back and burglarized the home. I had never thot this would be a problem, but it might be something I would think about next time.
PS — ours had about 12 members, max, maybe 15. Sometimes only one person would come. Sometimes all 12 would come, especially when we celebrated Christmas. We are in Los Angeles, near one of the Seminaries, and we would have visiting missionaries, priests, people from other lands come through. We still keep in touch with friends in Africa, China, Switzerland, some who were foreign students who have returned home, some who are in the mission field.
We participate in a small group through our larger church. Most groups meet Sunday evenings, though some do meet during the week. There are currently 6 in our group, but we hope to add another couple of families early in the new year.
We are currently studying the Truth Project (www.thetruthproject.org) which has honestly been the best study I have ever done. Previously, we did Blackaby’s “Experiencing God.”
Our church has a minister devoted to small groups who is always happy to talk to others about small groups. Feel free to freepmail me and I’ll put you in touch.
Our small group has become a true family, and my husband and I have a better relationship with each other and with the Lord, largely due to our participation in this small group.
Christmas blessings to all!
Its not a denomination but a group of churches that relate to each other.
My daughter and soninlaws church started with a small group of about four adults meeting in a home for a Bible study/life group.
Then they moved to a school room then to renting a facility. They are now 50-60 people in about 18 months.
My brothers church started the same way, about 10 five years later about 300.
Allot of what we do is train, raise up, send out.
We are in relationship with ncmi (New Covenant Ministries International) ncmi.net. Its probably easier to get on their web site for more information It is a different model: apostolic instead of pastoral. Feel free to email if I can answer any more questions
If the Lord didn't start it and doesn't run it, what's the point?
If he did and does, great things will happen. For example, the church we attend started in a home and has over 5,000 members now (they added on--no, just kidding).
You may want to google Willow Creek Church. They have a lot of materials on how to do small groups; one thing they are known for is pioneering the small group movement. Actually, however, this is not new. The Puritans, for example, would form small groups throughout their community to support each other and discuss and learn the Bible.
I am a co-leader of a church small group for business people. We get anywhere between 6 and 15 people, depending upon schedules and time of year. We meet once a week for a brown bag lunch and Bible study. We have a short introductory prayer time,discuss Scripture related questions (see below), and then share and pray for each other at the end.
Our church essentially coordinates all the small groups, including having a small groups website and contact information for people who are looking for a group. We have geographic groups in different neighborhoods, also some interest groups such as singles’ groups, college students’ groups, military service member groups, men’s only groups, women’s only groups etc.
We have some groups which do a traditional Bible study on their own. Others, like ours, base our weekly discussions on the past Sunday’s church sermon (essentially our pastors preach sequentially from books of the Bible). Different small group leaders take turns on drafting potential discussion questions on the sermon, and then we post these on the website for any of the groups to use. That really takes a lot of strain out of having to spend a huge amount of time each week preparing for the small group, since you have an outline of questions you can use.
In my opinion it’s good to have co-leaders. That way you can back each other up in preparing and leading. Also, if one leader can’t make it because of a scheduling conflict, the other is ready to take over.
Our church also has periodic Saturday training sessions on how to be a group leader: how to do it, and how to deal with group members, especially those who may be having problems of one sort or another.
This page has good examples of small group questions:
http://www.willowcreek.org/nc/linc_previous.asp
These are a lot more elaborate than the ones we do for our church, but essentially the concept is the same.
Run! Run away fast if your church begins to do this!
Google Cooneyite and see why!
I left it permanently in 1973 and have no desire to return. It has mentally affected all us when we were kids and the after effect still linger in some family members years later!
A missionary who visited our church, gave this advice.
The pastor should never count the money, as it will affect the spiritual nature of the sermon.
Have a treasurer who does that.
Sounded like good advice!
Good grief, what a strange and strict group. Good for you for running screaming. I like your tagline — is that truly a quote? Have you sent it to the President?
***I like your tagline — is that truly a quote? ***
A direct quote from one of the armed men in Sudan calling for the head of a teacher who named a teddy bear Mohammed.
That had to do with the Teddy Bear Jihad? Oh,man, those Muzzies are cuckoo.
Are you asking about a Bible study group, or an adult education group within a denomination - or are you asking whether such a group meets as part of a new congregation?
LouAvul was asking, not me.
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