Philosophy of Small Groups in the Church - Research Paper Example

Philosophy of small groups in church Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 My philosophy of small groups in a church 3 Small groups in a church 3 Personalized philosophy of the ministry 4 How mission groups can help the body of Christ move out into the community 5 Living in community with other believers 6 Conclusion 7 Introduction A deep relationship with God and other people in the community is vital and the greatest essence of life. This is because it is what gives life its real meaning and in addition to this it brings great fulfillment to our daily lives ensuring that Jesus’ atonement makes it much possible for us to repent and to be resurrected. Trying to live a Christian life by our own efforts is like a ship that is on dry land, this does not work very well. Tapping into God’s truth, seeking Him, helping people face life’s challenges and finding personal fulfillment is the ultimate aims of small groups and mission groups. Wilson (2003) states that the importance attached to small face to face groups within the congregation is what allows many church members to personalize their contribution.1 My philosophy of small groups in a church Small groups in a church The small group is the starting relational unit which is beyond family where ministry to one another starts, it is the arena of primary care. A small group is a highly effective means of individuals entering the spiritual growth process. It is made up of 5-10 members who get together weekly with the specific purpose of growing personally and spiritually. It entails open mindedness and encourages honesty in all aspects. Thus, the primary way to be connected in churches is through the small groups. The fruit of entering the spiritual growth process is one of the greatest things that people may have anticipated. According to Djupe (2006), feeling similar to other members in the church small group is positively related to practicing skills, confirming the importance of incorporating a social dimension into theories posting an organizational influence on individual behavior.2 Personalized philosophy of the ministry One of the most fundamental steps for a small group ministry is developing a personalized philosophy of the ministry. This mainly entails defining priorities, defending actions and determining the next steps to take for the upward success of the individual’s personal life. The philosophical distinctiveness of churches differ with the churches core values, but all aim at ensuring the goals of the small groups are taken into consideration and that they are effective and beneficial for all the members involved in a particular group. The four-session trial period is one of the philosophies and this mainly entails people having a four meeting trial period in a particular small group. Thus if the small group does not satisfy an individual’s need, then one is likely to seek another group but this involves no hard feelings. Another philosophical detail can emanate where the small groups center their discussion on the sermon passage that had been preached that week. This mainly explains a sermon that has been driven at the outset. In addition to this basing, the small group discussion on all the individuals in the group being a shepherd is essential. This is because having a shepherd in the gathering ensures that all the sheep are in the sheepfold and that not even one of the sheep gets lost. Interaction is also vital and key to life change. Life change can occur in cases where the facilitated discussion leads to personal application and this when combined with support and the importance of shared lives will automatically lead to a change in the life of an individual. A small pervasive group can influence the lives of many people. The Bible encourages us to bear one another’s burdens in Galatians 6; 2. Djupe further explains that the social composition of small groups within the church dictates who is allowed access to skill building activities. How mission groups can help the body of Christ move out into the community Jesus Christ desired us to be one in the book of John 17:20-23. In addition to this, small groups act as a model of Christian community and it was modeled by Jesus in Mark 3;14 and also modeled by the early church in Acts 2;42-47. A small group helps individuals normalize their difficulties and failures that are encountered in the daily lives. They ensure that an individual going through difficulties in life is encouraged, empathized and supported by the sharing in of Godly wisdom and the use of the Bible to get solutions to different situations. This entails turning to God and His ways as a source of growth and all healing. Small groups are beneficial to all people irrespective of their profession, they also teach individuals how to enter emotional and spiritual growth process, how to strengthen all the important relationships thus safely connecting with all the people around us and more to that deepening a relationship with God. Thus, with a small group one is in a position to live the Biblical commands in a structured environment. Dan Kimball in “the emerging church’’ (2003) "describes the mission church as a body of people sent on a mission who gather in community for worship, encouragement and teaching from the" world that supplements what they are feeding themselves throughout the week. We are to be the salt and light of the world and a city that is set on a hill. The mission groups are to be passionately committed to God’s purposes in the world with the inclusion of proclaiming the gospel, compassion for the people in need, stewardship of creation and practical expressions of justice. In doing so, the impact will bring people to build up their faith, equip them to join God and His work and to the personal saving faith in Jesus Christ.3 Mission groups have a role to play in ensuring that the church can reach the community. This, they do so by ensuring that they witness to people, to spread the gospel of Christ and also provision of food to the people who are in need. In addition to this, the mission groups are also in a position to evangelize and thus reach those who are lost. The mission also conducts free medical clinics and treatment to those who are sick in the community; they also become a part of local school evangelism and the prison ministry. Moreover, they also visit children orphanage where they minister and visit nursing homes. Other mission groups also have gospel conversations in parks, schools and door-to-door visitations. This will entail counseling a new believer in basic Christian growth, leading a person to Christ by way of prayer and sharing the gospel by use of Bible verses.4 Living in community with other believers The threefold commitment for the mission groups entails a primary vertical relationship with The Lord and in addition a strong and healthy relationship with the fellow believers and those that are not saved. Engaging the world rather than isolating from the world is the core meaning of embracing mission attitudes. By purposefully reaching, all the economic and ethnic lines are a means to build a body, so diverse that reflects the heart of God. To reach out to the people requires utmost engagement by ensuring that the lost sheep come back to the sheepfold. In the book of Acts, we are able to visualize that the Christians in those days used three main themes when they shared the message of Jesus, they talked about the life that Jesus lived and how He went performing different miracles and how he healed people. The second theme was the way they talked about the resurrection of Jesus but most of all, the greatest theme they talked about was proclamation of the good news that Jesus is Lord.5 Thus, Jesus Christ initiated the Kingdom of God, there was the emphasis that when God is in charge, there will be great things happening, that lives will be made new, hope is given, relationships are restored and peace is what is restored. Embracing the core values of Christianity and following Jesus is what will make us citizens of heaven. Thus by living in the community with other believers and being missioner with the community will entail being in position to share the good news of Jesus Christ and bringing people to knowing the truth about Jesus and His love for us, being in position to carry one another’s burdens and in doing so fulfilling the law of Christ. Conclusion In conclusion, just as Jesus told us that others would know we are Christians by our love for each other. The love that we show to other people and it is the same love that is attractive to the non-Christians. Thus, we should be in a position to lighten each other’s burdens and live as Christ commanded us to live, by showing compassion and care for others even to those that do not belong to our family of faith. This is because Jesus came to the world to save the lost and to bring them back to the Kingdom of God. Our duty is thus to evangelize and to spread the good news of the kingdom to all nations of the world. In addition, we should be examples to the non-believers, our speech and conduct should be directly linked as Christ taught us so that we lead by example and thus bringing more disciples to the light and thus fulfilling the nature of Christ Himself. Bibliography Djupe, Paul. A., & Gilbert, Christopher, P. The resourceful believer: generating civic skills in church. Journal of politics, 68(1), 2006: 116-127 Kimball Dan. The emerging church. Miami: Zondervan/Youth Specialties, 2003 Wilson, Gerald, L., Keyton, Joann, Johnson, David, G. & Clark, Johanna, C. Church growth through member identification and commitment: a congregational case study. Review of religious research, 34(3), 2003: 30-49 Read More