Why Missional
Small Groups?
The Small Group is the front door to the church
How do people join the church? People are more likely to become a Christian through personal relationships than through advertisements or impersonal invitations to church services. Today people are unlikely to step foot into a church service on Sunday unless they are a Christian, or are coming along with someone they trust who is a Christian. The best formal setting for developing relationships is through missional small groups, rather than the large setting of a Sunday church service.
Small groups in the West have largely become fellowship groups
There is nothing wrong with having fellowship groups within the church, but if mission is not happening enough through personal evangelism, we must ask the question, why? Is it possible that many people are either afraid to share or feel ill equipped to do so? Within the missional small group there is the opportunity for many different parts to work together to fulfil the missional aspects of the church. One person can bring a friend, another can help them to feel welcome, another can answer their questions, and another can disciple them once they decide to follow Jesus. The load is shared in a Missional Small Group and the effectiveness of the mission can be enhanced.
Small groups tend to focus on the study of the Word of God
This is a noble and necessary pursuit, but when knowledge of the Word becomes the sole purpose of this task, then its impact is limited. For the Word to really take root, there needs to be an application in our lives! The knowledge obtained through the Word needs to be outworked and the best way to grow in faith and the application of the word is in a missional setting. The best way to be missional is to work at the great co-mission together. Put another way, knowledge about God should not be the focus, but the means by which we achieve the mission.
The Small Group is the front door to the church
How do people join the church? People are more likely to become a Christian through personal relationships than through advertisements or impersonal invitations to church services. Today people are unlikely to step foot into a church service on Sunday unless they are a Christian, or are coming along with someone they trust who is a Christian. The best formal setting for developing relationships is through missional small groups, rather than the large setting of a Sunday church service.
Small groups in the West have largely become fellowship groups
There is nothing wrong with having fellowship groups within the church, but if mission is not happening enough through personal evangelism, we must ask the question, why? Is it possible that many people are either afraid to share or feel ill equipped to do so? Within the missional small group there is the opportunity for many different parts to work together to fulfil the missional aspects of the church. One person can bring a friend, another can help them to feel welcome, another can answer their questions, and another can disciple them once they decide to follow Jesus. The load is shared in a Missional Small Group and the effectiveness of the mission can be enhanced.
Small groups tend to focus on the study of the Word of God
This is a noble and necessary pursuit, but when knowledge of the Word becomes the sole purpose of this task, then its impact is limited. For the Word to really take root, there needs to be an application in our lives! The knowledge obtained through the Word needs to be outworked and the best way to grow in faith and the application of the word is in a missional setting. The best way to be missional is to work at the great co-mission together. Put another way, knowledge about God should not be the focus, but the means by which we achieve the mission.
How can Missional Small Groups work?
The main concern is that groups have at their core the desire to be missional. This may be outworked through a team-based approach, or through the support of individuals who are missional. Either is fine as long as the intent is there and there is fruit that comes from it. The advantage of Missional Small Groups is that groups with a shared purpose and deep commitment to it will grow in fellowship much deeper than those without a specific purpose.
Groups could be support for individuals who are missional in their own lives
- or -
Groups of people who work together to achieve the mission
One way that it could work by thinking of it like a fishing fleet:
- People who know where to fish – finding people to invite to your group, people who need Jesus, who are close to the Kingdom of God.
- People who know how to bait the hook – being good at building relationships so that they will see we are His disciples, by the way that we love each other.
- People who know how to land them – knowing how to apply the gospel and explain it in a way that will be effective. This is a seasonal event at the right time, as the Spirit leads.
- People who know how to gut the fish – becoming more like Christ is a life-long journey. We all need those who can help us to apply the Word of God to our lives.
Small groups have at their core the desire to be missional. We have a Great Co-Mission that is achieved through the Co-mmitment of Christian Co-mmunity. This may be outworked through a team-based approach, or through the support of individuals who are missional. Either is fine as long as the intent is there and there is fruit that comes from it. The advantage of Missional Small Groups is that with a shared purpose and deep commitment it will enable fellowship to grow which is much deeper than those without a specific purpose.
Groups could be support for individuals who are missional in their own lives
- or -
Groups of people who work together to achieve the mission
One way that it could work by thinking of it like a fishing fleet:
- People who know where to fish – finding people to invite to your group, people who need Jesus, who are close to the Kingdom of God.
- People who know how to bait the hook – being good at building relationships so that they will see we are His disciples, by the way that we love each other.
- People who know how to land them – knowing how to apply the gospel and explain it in a way that will be effective. This is a seasonal event at the right time, as the Spirit leads.
- People who know how to gut the fish – becoming more like Christ is a life-long journey. We all need those who can help us to apply the Word of God to our lives.
That sounds like
a lot of extra work!
Missional Small Groups are Actually more fun!
Typically a Small Group will meet weekly to study the bible. We suggest doing this fortnightly. But fortnightly meetings can be so irregular that it's almost not worth attempting at all, right? Well, yes and no. We suggest doing bible studies fortnightly as a group, but having either service projects or social gatherings for the other weeks of the month. These could be a BBQ, watching the rugby or whatever you normally like to do with your mates (as long as it's something that's a good influence on them).
A bible study may include the core 8-12 people, while the social part of the group could be 2-3 times this size. It is comprised of the people in the Missional Small Group, as well as those you feel led to draw into the church. Those who show real interest in hearing more about God can come to the bible study and it will be far easier for them to do so when they already know the members of the group! In turn, it will be much less frightening for them to come to a church service or event if they already have a group of friends they regularly hang out with.
A bible study may include the core 8-12 people, while the social part of the group could be 2-3 times this size. It is comprised of the people in the Missional Small Group, as well as those you feel led to draw into the church. Those who show real interest in hearing more about God can come to the bible study and it will be far easier for them to do so when they already know the members of the group! In turn, it will be much less frightening for them to come to a church service or event if they already have a group of friends they regularly hang out with.
Join a Missional Small Group
Missional Small Groups are Actually more fun!
Typically a Small Group will meet weekly to study the bible. We suggest doing this fortnightly. But fortnightly meetings can be so irregular that it's almost not worth attempting at all, right? Well, yes and no. We suggest doing bible studies fortnightly as a group, but having either service projects or social gatherings for the other weeks of the month. These could be a BBQ, watching the rugby or whatever you normally like to do with your mates (as long as it's something that's a good influence on them).
A bible study may include the core 8-12 people, while the social part of the group could be 2-3 times this size. It is comprised of the people in the Missional Small Group, as well as those you feel led to draw into the church. Those who show real interest in hearing more about God can come to the bible study and it will be far easier for them to do so when they already know the members of the group! In turn, it will be much less frightening for them to come to a church service or event if they already have a group of friends they regularly hang out with.
A bible study may include the core 8-12 people, while the social part of the group could be 2-3 times this size. It is comprised of the people in the Missional Small Group, as well as those you feel led to draw into the church. Those who show real interest in hearing more about God can come to the bible study and it will be far easier for them to do so when they already know the members of the group! In turn, it will be much less frightening for them to come to a church service or event if they already have a group of friends they regularly hang out with.