Acts 2:42 – 47 “They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common.  Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

An increasing number of churches are incorporating small groups/home groups into the overall evangelism/discipleship strategy of their church. The Acts 2 passage above gives a good foundational understanding of small groups as a tool for teaching, fellowship, worship, prayer, care-giving and evangelism.  There are many options in structuring a small group ministry in your church based upon intention, leadership, and resources.

There are several issues to consider when developing a small groups ministry in your church:

• Determine the purpose of your small groups: outreach oriented or discipleship oriented?
• Do you teach or facilitate a small group?
• How do you discover and train new small group leaders?
• How do we distinguish small groups from Sunday School?
• What curriculum options are available?
• What advantages are there to off-site groups over on-site groups and vice versa?
• What are some options for childcare when doing off-site groups?

If you would like assistance in any of these areas please contact Karen West.

Resources to consider:

• The Big Book on Small Groups by Jeffrey Arnold
• Making Small Groups Work by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
• Discipleship Journals 101 Best Small Group Ideas by Deena Davis
• Leading Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill Donahue
• Building a Church of Small Groups by Bill Donahue and Russ Robinson
• How To Lead Small Groups by Neal McBride