Build a Successful Small-Group Ministry:

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by Socialite

D4T, I do think "Small Group Ministry" is part of it, and like I said, it's a great start, but it doesn't connect all the dots.

Check out this video:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video....50181320944606

I do agree it is a great start.

I just also believe that it is a great finish.

It worked for the apostles.

headed to lunch... I'll check out the vid when I get back.

[Socialite]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

I think small groups are very "missional"

But their mission isn't continual growth of their own personal group but continual growth of the whole of the Body.

After all... it was a small group style church that turned their world upside down.

Here's a PDF that gets into the Small Group/Community Group and Missional Community comparison.

I think the latter better fits the commission to be missionaries, and to make disciples that are making disciples.

[Socialite]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

I do agree it is a great start.

I just also believe that it is a great finish.

It worked for the apostles.

headed to lunch... I'll check out the vid when I get back.

Sure, it's progress , and much better than overtly Church Building focused groups.

[Socialite]

One Missional Community expert, I think, is Tim Chester. The Video and PDF are excellent for this topic, but just to copy/paste some snippets as well, here's what Chester says (quite succinctly):

I had a question recently on the difference between missional communities and small group Bible studies or house groups …

House groups often tend to be a weekly meeting. People talk about ‘house group night’ – the evening in which they ‘do’ house group by attending a meeting. A missional community is about a shared life, a network of relationships, a genuine community of people.

House groups are often centred around a Bible study. The Bible is central to the life of a missional community, but the Bible is read, discussed and lived throughout the week in the context of a shared life.

House groups are often insular and focused on the mutual care of their members. Pastoral care is a feature of missional communities, but they are also groups with a strong sense of mission. They can articulate their vision for mission and identify the specific people they are trying to reach.

House groups are normally managed centrally by the church leadership. Leaders are often fearful of house groups becoming independent. Missional communities are given a mandate to reproduce organically or spin off into church plants.

I think the element of the mission not being an event is more recognizable in a missional community (even though they may still have an intentional and regular meeting night with dinner). Also, the focus is inward/outward (making disciples, who make disciples). It definitely worked for the Apostolic church

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Socialite

D4T, I do think "Small Group Ministry" is part of it, and like I said, it's a great start, but it doesn't connect all the dots.

Check out this video:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video....50181320944606

I attend a church that is built around house churching. We have over 2000 members. That's pretty "missional"... a view to win one's world to Christ. Since we don't focus on the "services" so much there are far more "bible studies" going on where members are meeting in small groups with their coworkers and the unsaved. We've even formed a small group that meets where I work.

When we break away from the paradigm of "drag 'em to the church building"... we unleash the church to function... anywhere.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Socialite

D4T, I do think "Small Group Ministry" is part of it, and like I said, it's a great start, but it doesn't connect all the dots.

Check out this video:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video....50181320944606

Video will not play for me.

[Socialite]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I attend a church that is built around house churching. We have over 2000 members. That's pretty "missional"... a view to win one's world to Christ. Since we don't focus on the "services" so much there are far more "bible studies" going on where members are meeting in small groups with their coworkers and the unsaved.

When we break away from the paradigm of "drag 'em to the service"... we unleash the church to function... anywhere.

A pretty sizable chunk of the missional community movement was shaped by the House Churchers.

We still find great value and beauty in Sunday gatherings, even as we join with over 2,000 years of Christian tradition. It's a time where communities from all over the city come together in one beautiful time of worship, communion, etc...

[Socialite]

Originally Posted by Aquila

Video will not play for me.

It's on the Verge Network's website. Sorry... not sure why it's not playing. Try another browser?

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Socialite

A pretty sizable chunk of the missional community movement was shaped by the House Churchers.

We still find great value and beauty in Sunday gatherings, even as we join with over 2,000 years of Christian tradition. It's a time where communities from all over the city come together in one beautiful time of worship, communion, etc...

I've actually come to love the Lord's Supper (Communion). We do it weekly and stress it's meaning strongly in the house churches. At first I wasn't sure what to think about having Communion so frequently. But... now it's like we're joining over 2,000 years of Christian tradition. It's quite beautiful. We pass a single loaf (signifying one Lord) and we each tear a peice of it away (signifying how His body was broken for us). We then pass a single cup (signifying the blood of one Lord) and we dip the bread in the cup as it is passed. Then we take the soaked bread together and discuss elements of the cross, His coming, and what it means to us. Every week a brother is chosen to offer a passage that speaks of Christ's suffering and death for us. It's more moving than I originally thought it would be.

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I've actually come to love the Lord's Supper (Communion). We do it weekly and stress it's meaning strongly in the house churches. At first I wasn't sure what to think about having Communion so frequently. But... now it's like we're joining over 2,000 years of Christian tradition. It's quite beautiful. We pass a single loaf (signifying one Lord) and we each tear a peice of it away (signifying how His body was broken for us). We then pass a single cup (signifying the blood of one Lord) and we dip the bread in the cup as it is passed. Then we take the soaked bread together and discuss elements of the cross, His coming, and what it means to us. Every week a brother is chosen to offer a passage that speaks of Christ's suffering and death for us. It's more moving than I originally thought it would be.

Have you ever read Wolfgang Simson's take on the Lord's Supper?