In 1994, Banciao Gospel Church of the Taiwan Lutheran Church began using the cell-group model, and in just nine years, the church membership had tripled. So, is the small-group model necessary for a church's development? Is the small-group model the most effective for discipleship training and evangelism in the church?
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, churches, along with society as a whole, faced the effects of an aging population and the inability to move forward because of the loss of the younger generation. As this was happening, the small-group model, which had been widely adopted overseas, caught the attention of many pastors. As a result, conventional single-assembly churches like Banciao Gospel Church tried to restructure themselves into small-group churches, and the result was indeed encouraging.
From my visits and interviews, I have concluded that there are mainly five reasons for a church to change to a small-group model: first, the lack of newcomers; second, the church consists only of consumer Christians and lacks vitality; third, the church members are distant from each other and lack commitment to the church; fourth, the difficulty in raising up new co-workers; and fifth, the continuing shrinkage of the younger generation.
In my opinion, these causes can be traced back to two core issues: the lack of connection among members and the lack of committed disciples.
Y church has attracted many young believers from outside the area, and about nine years ago, the church started small groups under its regular youth fellowship. In a recent Bible study I attended, the preacher spoke on the fellowship's annual theme, "Go the Extra Mile," based on Matthew 5. He encouraged the young people to go the extra mile in the coming year by being more forgiving, patient, humble, and merciful to others. After his sharing, the youth were divided into groups of ten to talk about how they would put the theme into practice.
I joined a group that usually has nine people. Two of them are seekers, so the others in the group pay much more attention to these two young men. The first half of their conversation revolved around what the two young men shared. In my opinion, the group serves the following purposes: it builds up the believers spiritually, as well as the relationships between the group members, and bears witness to the non-believers and draws them to the Lord; at the same time, it raises up more people to serve, as both the current and future group leaders receive leadership training in these short weekly meetings. Each group includes members of different levels of faith, and those who are more mature will care for the non-believers and seekers. Also, the pastor of the church told me that since the small groups have been established, the group members will take the initiative to seek out unchurched Christians in the community and share the gospel with their friends and family.
Is it then impossible to build a loving community and conduct discipleship training without using the small-group model? Of course not. But in my observation, there are two major shortcomings in other church models compared to healthy small-group ministries: First, only a limited number of people can be reached. One church in a southeastern coastal city has insisted on offering Bible study classes for more than ten years, but no more than ten percent of their members have attended. Second, conventional discipleship training focuses only on what is "in the books." A pastor of a successful small-group church in Wenzhou once shared that one cannot understand their church's small-group model simply by attending classes in a classroom; pastors who really want to learn must become involved in the church system by spending three months in a small group themselves. Because small groups have no more than twelve people each, they have undeniable benefits for members to get to know each other, build relationships, and express care.
A healthy small-group ministry may also answer the question above. First, a healthy small-group model does not consist of randomly formed groups, nor does it mean just meeting in small groups. It is an organic system, and small-group activities are only one part of it and must be combined with other small-group training.
Second, a healthy small-group ministry is part of a church's overall strategy and an extension of the church's overall vision. The church compiles and finalizes the teaching materials used by Y Church's small groups, and the weekly group activities revolve around specific themes. On the other hand, the leadership training system is supported by a term limit and election system; small group leaders cannot serve indefinitely, or they will lose the bind of their authority.
- Translated by Joyce Leung
1994年台湾信义会板桥福音堂开始开展细胞小组，九年后信众倍增至未推行小组之前的三倍左右。教会要想发展，是否一定要做小组？教会要想做门徒培训、传福音，是否小组模式最高效？
20世纪末21世纪初，教会与社会同步出现老龄化问题，年轻人流失，后继发展乏力。于此阶段，海外流行的小组模式进入牧者视野，于是出现诸如板桥福音堂等教会尝试从传统大堂向细胞小组模式转型，确实颇有成效。
走访途中笔者了解到要转型做小组的原因主要集中在以下几个方面：第一，新增信徒少；第二，教会没有活力，只有消费型基督徒；第三，信徒之间关系冷淡，对教会的委身感弱；第四，无法产生同工；第五，青年流失。
笔者认为，可以将其归结为两个核心问题：缺乏连接，缺乏门徒。
Y堂较之以往吸纳很多外地青年信徒，约九年前开始在常规的青年团契之下建立小组。在笔者近期参加的这次学习中，传道人围绕马太福音5章，讲述团契的年度主题“多走一里路”。教导在场的年轻人，新的一年在饶恕、忍耐、谦让、怜悯上多走一里路。之后大家进入小组分享，十个人左右为一组，讨论自己计划在什么方面实践这个主题。
笔者所在的小组平时一共九个人，其中两位是慕道友。所有人对这两位弟兄都投入更多的注意力，讨论的前半程基本围绕两人的分享展开。笔者认为，这个小组实现了以下功能：造就信徒灵命，彼此建立关系，并且，向未信者作见证，引人归主；同时，培养同工，正在交接的两任小组长，在每周一次这短短的小组活动中，都正接受着小组领袖的培养。上述小组包含信仰生命程度不同的组员，生命成熟的信徒会关注非信徒、慕道友。此外，据该堂牧者介绍，建立小组后，组员会自发寻找社区周边“散落”的基督徒，向关系亲近的人传福音。
不使用小组事工，是否无法开展爱的团契，无法进行门徒培训？答案是否定的，但就笔者了解，相对健康的小组事工，其他方式主要有两点缺乏：其一，覆盖人数有限。东南沿海某市十几年坚持圣经培训班，但真正参加学习的信徒在教会信徒中占比不超过十分之一。其二，传统门徒培训以真道学习为主。温州一位做小组教会的牧者曾讲过，要想学习该堂成功的小组事工，不可能使用集中上课的方式；有心志的牧者必须要跟着教会体系，踏踏实实过三个月的小组生活。小组以其不超过十二人的规模，在认识彼此、建立关系、表达关爱方面有不可否认的优势。
一个健康的小组事工可以尝试回答以上问题。首先，健康的小组事工不是自然小组，不是小组聚会，它是一套有机运行的系统。小组活动只是其中一环，它必须要链接以小组为单位展开的培训课程。
其次，健康的小组事工是教会整体策略的一部分，是教会整体异象的延展。Y教会针的小组教材由教会编辑、确定，每周小组活动围绕特定主题进行。另外，除了小组长培养体系外，还搭配小组长任期和选举制度。小组长不能无限期连任，否则将失去对其权力的约束力。
教会发展是否一定要做小组？从一次青年团契的经历讲起
In 1994, Banciao Gospel Church of the Taiwan Lutheran Church began using the cell-group model, and in just nine years, the church membership had tripled. So, is the small-group model necessary for a church's development? Is the small-group model the most effective for discipleship training and evangelism in the church?
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, churches, along with society as a whole, faced the effects of an aging population and the inability to move forward because of the loss of the younger generation. As this was happening, the small-group model, which had been widely adopted overseas, caught the attention of many pastors. As a result, conventional single-assembly churches like Banciao Gospel Church tried to restructure themselves into small-group churches, and the result was indeed encouraging.
From my visits and interviews, I have concluded that there are mainly five reasons for a church to change to a small-group model: first, the lack of newcomers; second, the church consists only of consumer Christians and lacks vitality; third, the church members are distant from each other and lack commitment to the church; fourth, the difficulty in raising up new co-workers; and fifth, the continuing shrinkage of the younger generation.
In my opinion, these causes can be traced back to two core issues: the lack of connection among members and the lack of committed disciples.
Y church has attracted many young believers from outside the area, and about nine years ago, the church started small groups under its regular youth fellowship. In a recent Bible study I attended, the preacher spoke on the fellowship's annual theme, "Go the Extra Mile," based on Matthew 5. He encouraged the young people to go the extra mile in the coming year by being more forgiving, patient, humble, and merciful to others. After his sharing, the youth were divided into groups of ten to talk about how they would put the theme into practice.
I joined a group that usually has nine people. Two of them are seekers, so the others in the group pay much more attention to these two young men. The first half of their conversation revolved around what the two young men shared. In my opinion, the group serves the following purposes: it builds up the believers spiritually, as well as the relationships between the group members, and bears witness to the non-believers and draws them to the Lord; at the same time, it raises up more people to serve, as both the current and future group leaders receive leadership training in these short weekly meetings. Each group includes members of different levels of faith, and those who are more mature will care for the non-believers and seekers. Also, the pastor of the church told me that since the small groups have been established, the group members will take the initiative to seek out unchurched Christians in the community and share the gospel with their friends and family.
Is it then impossible to build a loving community and conduct discipleship training without using the small-group model? Of course not. But in my observation, there are two major shortcomings in other church models compared to healthy small-group ministries: First, only a limited number of people can be reached. One church in a southeastern coastal city has insisted on offering Bible study classes for more than ten years, but no more than ten percent of their members have attended. Second, conventional discipleship training focuses only on what is "in the books." A pastor of a successful small-group church in Wenzhou once shared that one cannot understand their church's small-group model simply by attending classes in a classroom; pastors who really want to learn must become involved in the church system by spending three months in a small group themselves. Because small groups have no more than twelve people each, they have undeniable benefits for members to get to know each other, build relationships, and express care.
A healthy small-group ministry may also answer the question above. First, a healthy small-group model does not consist of randomly formed groups, nor does it mean just meeting in small groups. It is an organic system, and small-group activities are only one part of it and must be combined with other small-group training.
Second, a healthy small-group ministry is part of a church's overall strategy and an extension of the church's overall vision. The church compiles and finalizes the teaching materials used by Y Church's small groups, and the weekly group activities revolve around specific themes. On the other hand, the leadership training system is supported by a term limit and election system; small group leaders cannot serve indefinitely, or they will lose the bind of their authority.
- Translated by Joyce Leung
Are Small Groups a Must for Church Growth?
