In 2010, CCC&TSPM published teaching materials for churches nationwide, providing guidance for implementing a more refined pastoral work: developing small group ministries. H Church in a rural area of X City in Southeast China embraced this initiative and established a small group model tailored to their congregation's needs. They focused on discipleship training and evangelism, ultimately rescuing the church from decline and achieving significant growth.
As early as the 1930s, H Church had established meeting points under the guidance of missionaries, and in 2011, they inaugurated a new sanctuary with a seating capacity of 700. However, attendance at their services rarely exceeded 100 people. In 2011, Pastor T visited churches in the local area, nearby cities, and Hong Kong to gain insights and learn that "small groups need to be on a mission."
Initially, H Church established small groups by dividing all believers into ten groups, each consisting of regular attendees and their less frequent church-going family and friends. Through these small groups, they aimed to connect and nurture those who were less involved in church life. That year, the church's attendance grew to 150.
However, these small groups lost their vitality quickly the following year. Pastor T acknowledged that people were reluctant to participate in small group gatherings. Thus, in the second phase of small group development, H Church began to explore diverse types of small group activities.
Regarding the content of small group meetings, they experimented with three approaches: devotional gathering, worship-based gathering, and activity-based ministry. Pastor T mentioned that during this phase, the church's workers put in considerable effort, but from 2012 to 2016, the congregation only grew to 200 people.
The turning point came in 2017 when Pastor T went to serve in S City in Northeast China, where a local pastor stated that the number of believers in his church had grown from over 80 to over 1000 in seven years through conducting small groups. This inspired Pastor T to seek training. He committed to learning 12 lessons in three months and immediately booked over 20 round-trip flight tickets between the two cities.
Pastor T and his team adjusted this small group model to suit their church's context, creating their own small group curriculum and gradually building a small group system. As of this year, H Church has baptized over 400 seekers, with a congregation of up to 600 people. Even during the three years of the pandemic, the church baptized an average of over 80 converts every year.
The H Church's small group system consists of care groups, discipleship groups, and evangelism groups.
Care groups, also known as cell groups, aim to connect, nurture, care for, counsel, and assist church members. They do not focus on preaching, Bible study, or communion, as these functions are reserved for church services.
Pastor T said, “Care group leaders encourage members to enroll in specific discipleship courses based on their needs. Those who enroll are then divided into groups of around ten people, forming new discipleship groups. The course comprises six modules to be completed in three years, with one module completed every three months.”
Pastor T stated that after completing the discipleship courses, members could join the evangelism groups to serve, and that completing the leadership course allowed them to apply to become care group leaders. Individuals converted through evangelism groups were introduced to care groups to be cared for.
Pastor T emphasized, "This system has vitality and can operate independently. Every ministry within the system continues to expand. If a church only focuses on a single ministry, it will eventually plateau and cease to grow."
Within this discipleship system, the church can defend itself against heresy. Every believer has undergone discipleship courses, which enable them to have a good grasp of the truth and the ability to discern heresy.
H Church's small group system demonstrates the advantages of small groups in refining discipleship, strengthening the connection between believers and the church, equipping laypeople for God’s work, and promoting evangelism.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
2010年中国基督教两会出版教材，为各地教会开展精细化牧养提供一个方向——开展小组事工。东南X市乡镇地区的H教会顺应倡导，开发建立起适应本教会的小组模式，做好门徒培训和福传工作，最终将教会从僵化衰落的边缘挽回，实现人数倍增。
X市H教会早在二十世纪三十年代就在传教士的带领下建立聚会点，于2011年落成新堂。新堂可容纳700人，可至今保持聚会的人数也不到100人。为此，2011年，T主任牧师前往本市、临市和香港教会学习参访，得知 “必须要做小组”。
H教会先建立起“分组型”小组：把当前所有信徒分成十个组，每组都要包含常常参加聚会的信徒和他们不常参与聚会的家人朋友，借此将后者通过小组联系、关怀带入教会生活。当年，H教会聚会人数就增长至150人。
但这样的小组很快于次年失去活力。T牧师表示，当时他们还困在表面问题里，“大家不愿意参加小组活动”，于是H教会小组建设的第二阶段，开始寻求多样化的小组活动。
按照小组聚会的内容来看，这一阶段他们一共尝试三种方式：灵修式、崇拜式、活动式。T牧师表示，在这个阶段，同工为小组事工付出了努力，但从2012到2016年，信徒只发展到200人。
转折点发生在2017年，T牧师去S市服事时，当地一牧者介绍，该堂在七年间从80多人倍增至1000多人，就是靠做小组。这让T牧师立即表示要接受训练。他要用三个月的时间学习12节课。T牧师当下一口气订下20多张两地往返机票。
T牧师介绍，他和同工将这个小组模式结合本堂实际情况做了调整，又自己制定小组学习的教材，逐步建设起一个小组系统。今年为止，H堂已经有400多位受洗信徒，聚会信徒可达600人，即使在疫情三年间，该堂都保持平均每年80多人受洗的增长态势。
H堂目前的小组系统由关怀小组、养育小组和传福音小组三部分构成。
关怀小组，又称细胞小组。理论上堂里每位信徒都要落户到某个关怀小组中，其定位是联络、牧养 、关怀、辅导、帮助，没有讲道、查经、圣餐等教会职能。
T牧师介绍，关怀小组的小组长会根据组员情况，鼓励他们学习特定层次的养育课程。报名者依然要划分为十几个人为一组，形成新的一批养育小组。该课程一套六门，三个月学习一门，全部完成需要三年时间。
T牧师说道学完养育课程，可以进入福音小组服侍；学完组长班，就可以申请做关怀小组的组长。福音小组传出来的人又送到关怀小组来关怀。
T牧师说，“这个系统是有生命力的，它可以自行运转，在系统内各个事工都会不断扩大。“如果一个教会只关注单个事工，比如做小组，一定会有做到顶的一点，到时候就不会再发展。”
在全面陪伴养育的共同体内，H堂的异端防护也是成体系的。每个信徒都接受过养育课程，对真理有一定掌握，可以辨别异端。
H堂的小组系统向我们展示出，小组在细化牧养、增强信徒与教会联系、培养平信徒成为新同工、促进传福音等方面的优势。
案例学习：以小组系统促门训福传
In 2010, CCC&TSPM published teaching materials for churches nationwide, providing guidance for implementing a more refined pastoral work: developing small group ministries. H Church in a rural area of X City in Southeast China embraced this initiative and established a small group model tailored to their congregation's needs. They focused on discipleship training and evangelism, ultimately rescuing the church from decline and achieving significant growth.
As early as the 1930s, H Church had established meeting points under the guidance of missionaries, and in 2011, they inaugurated a new sanctuary with a seating capacity of 700. However, attendance at their services rarely exceeded 100 people. In 2011, Pastor T visited churches in the local area, nearby cities, and Hong Kong to gain insights and learn that "small groups need to be on a mission."
Initially, H Church established small groups by dividing all believers into ten groups, each consisting of regular attendees and their less frequent church-going family and friends. Through these small groups, they aimed to connect and nurture those who were less involved in church life. That year, the church's attendance grew to 150.
However, these small groups lost their vitality quickly the following year. Pastor T acknowledged that people were reluctant to participate in small group gatherings. Thus, in the second phase of small group development, H Church began to explore diverse types of small group activities.
Regarding the content of small group meetings, they experimented with three approaches: devotional gathering, worship-based gathering, and activity-based ministry. Pastor T mentioned that during this phase, the church's workers put in considerable effort, but from 2012 to 2016, the congregation only grew to 200 people.
The turning point came in 2017 when Pastor T went to serve in S City in Northeast China, where a local pastor stated that the number of believers in his church had grown from over 80 to over 1000 in seven years through conducting small groups. This inspired Pastor T to seek training. He committed to learning 12 lessons in three months and immediately booked over 20 round-trip flight tickets between the two cities.
Pastor T and his team adjusted this small group model to suit their church's context, creating their own small group curriculum and gradually building a small group system. As of this year, H Church has baptized over 400 seekers, with a congregation of up to 600 people. Even during the three years of the pandemic, the church baptized an average of over 80 converts every year.
The H Church's small group system consists of care groups, discipleship groups, and evangelism groups.
Care groups, also known as cell groups, aim to connect, nurture, care for, counsel, and assist church members. They do not focus on preaching, Bible study, or communion, as these functions are reserved for church services.
Pastor T said, “Care group leaders encourage members to enroll in specific discipleship courses based on their needs. Those who enroll are then divided into groups of around ten people, forming new discipleship groups. The course comprises six modules to be completed in three years, with one module completed every three months.”
Pastor T stated that after completing the discipleship courses, members could join the evangelism groups to serve, and that completing the leadership course allowed them to apply to become care group leaders. Individuals converted through evangelism groups were introduced to care groups to be cared for.
Pastor T emphasized, "This system has vitality and can operate independently. Every ministry within the system continues to expand. If a church only focuses on a single ministry, it will eventually plateau and cease to grow."
Within this discipleship system, the church can defend itself against heresy. Every believer has undergone discipleship courses, which enable them to have a good grasp of the truth and the ability to discern heresy.
H Church's small group system demonstrates the advantages of small groups in refining discipleship, strengthening the connection between believers and the church, equipping laypeople for God’s work, and promoting evangelism.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Case Study: Promoting Discipleship, Evangelism in Small Groups
