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Small Group Community
A "small group" or "small group community" may seem an odd name for a group of people. If you’d rather, think of a small group as a "home group" or "life group." A small group consists of about 8-15 people that meet in homes during the week. Our small groups have become more diverse over the years. Some focus more on prayer, others on teaching, still others on worship. But all of the small groups have elements of each. A small group is first and foremost a worshipping community, kind of like a small church or a house church. The purpose of the small group community is therefore the same as the purpose of the church in general, and involves a diversity of aspects --praise, teaching, prayer, discipleship, mission, and mutual love and accountability. One could look at Acts 2:42-47 and get an idea of what these components of community life are, and thereby get a sense of the general function of a cell community: 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 (Acts 2:42-47). Small group meetings seek to incorporate all aspects of Christian community -- praise, prayer, teaching, mutual love and accountability, enjoyment of God and His creation, and mission in the community. Indeed, a small group is a community, not just a "group" or a "meeting." Thus we envision small group community participants to have a special sense of calling to get to know and care for and encourage those in the small group community, both during and apart from meetings. From the standpoint of pastoral care, we look at the small group community as being a place where people are being looked after and cared for pastorally. Thus we have one person in each group designated as a small group shepherd to exercise a kind of pastoral leadership, and if necessary to inform the session of any significant needs. This is a very important part of our church vision -- that pastoral care would be in some ways decentralized and that people would each be in a group where mutual ministry and care is happening. But because pastoral care involves both a "caring" and a "teaching" component, we also place weight upon the teaching component of the small group community. This component is one way in which we fulfill the commandment to make disciples -- "teaching them to obey all I have commanded."Of course, each small group community will take on its own personality and will give relatively different weights to the various components. The mix of people will lend a different feel and dynamic to each group. The number and ages of children will affect the dynamic. Plus, some groups will be more, and some somewhat less structured. In other words, there is appropriate freedom but it is within a certain general form. Participation in small group communities is pretty critical for a person desiring to be a part of the life and ministry of Covenant Fellowship. In these communities a great deal of the mutual love and encouragement and pastoral care takes place. In these smaller communities relationships have a little more "space" to grow and develop. In these communities a great deal of the intergenerational "extended family" relationships are built.
In case you might be wondering how a home worship group could function that includes small children, I will describe below the format and structure of one of our small group communities, one which has a fair number of children. Remember, each community has a slightly different structure and emphasis, and would not necessarily follow this pattern exactly. In this small group the participants gather at a home (the place alternating each week between participants' houses) between 6:30 and 6:45pm. About 6:45 everyone including the children and babies gather in a living room for a time of praise and singing. About 7:00 the children’s catechism is reviewed by the children, usually with questions called out and the children answering in unison or individually. There is prayer together, and then a short break. The toddlers and babies go off to nursery, and the children from about 3 to 8 go off for a lesson planned by one of the adults – sort of like a Sunday School lesson. The older children and adults then have an hour for Bible study and prayer. At 8:15 everyone re-gathers for snacks and conversation, and folks are on their way home by 8:30 or 8:45. |
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