Building Christian Community Small Group Ministry in Today’s Seventh-Day Adventist Church

1. Small groups: part of God’s kingdom plan 2. Life-changing small groups: some definitions 3. Small group values: the key to growth 4. Small group meetings and small group life 5. The goal of small groups: holiness and harvest 6. Small group leadership 7. Developing a small group network 8. Maintaining the network

Building Christian Community SESSION EIGHT MAINTAINING THE SMALL GROUP NETWORK

It’s One Thing to Start… It’s another thing to continue

Small Groups Are… Living things – how can we keep them growing? We can’t!

Jesus also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain–first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” (Mark 4:26-29) 1. Understand the “All- By-Itself” Principle

The “All-By-Itself” Principle Growth takes place without apparent cause, it is spontaneous There is order and process in this growth All we can do is prepare the way and remove the obstacles to growth Human anxiety does not make it happen! The life is in the seed. We must learn to release the natural growth potential This principle applies also to the growth of the kingdom in our lives and in the church

2. Focus on Health We are often so focused on FRUIT that we fail to consider the ROOT that produces the SHOOT…

2. Focus on Health We are often so focused on FRUIT that we fail to consider the ROOT that produces the SHOOT… …which produces the FRUIT!

8 Characteristics of Healthy Churches (Schwartz) Empowering Gift-oriented Passionate Functional Inspiring Holistic Need-oriented Loving Ministry Spirituality Structures Worship Small Groups Evangelism Relationships Leadership Excellent criteria for an occasional small group health check too!

It Makes a Difference! Leadership Ministry Spirituality Structures Relationships Small groups Evangelism Worship service declining churches growing churches Leadership Ministry Structures Small groups Relationships Evangelism Worship service Growing and declining churches vary significantly in all eight quality areas Spirituality

3. Multiply Leaders - the Key to Reproducing Groups Every person a leader Leadership development a priority of Jesus Need for training and nurture of leaders

Leaders Leading Leaders Remember the Jethro leadership principle Leaders of 10 Supervising pastor Leaders of 50 Leaders of 100 Leaders of 500

4. Keep it Challenging Re-define and re-state the vision: The pastor’s role The cell supervisors’ role The cell leaders’ role

5. Keep it Interesting Be creative Provide variety Have fun on the journey

6. Be Prepared to Take Difficult Decisions Confront difficult people Close or re-form disfunctional groups Learn from mistakes: failure is part of success

But Small Groups Should be More than Just Alive and Growing… They should be on fire – how can we keep them burning...? …without burning out?

How Can We Keep the Fire Burning? We can’t! But we mustn’t quench it either! “Quench not the Spirit.”( KJV) “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.” (NIV) I Thessalonians 5:19

1. Check the Core Values Holy Spirit Is Jesus at the centre? Is every member in ministry? Is every member growing? Is this a genuinely loving community? Do actions support words? Do we love the lost? Do we take accountability Do we take accountability seriously? Small Group

“I Give Up!” 2. Understand the Change Process

3. Watch for Signs of Overload Are relationships at every level in harmony with Ephesians 4:29-32? Are the people who can’t say “no” saying “yes” too often? Are leaders receiving adequate support?

4. Keep an Eye on the Family Is family/personal/ social life neglected? Are children and elderly included in the group network?

5. Give Prayer Priority Alone “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” Philippians 4:6 Together

6. Believe the Promise “When we have entire, whole-hearted consecration to the service of Christ, God will recognise the fact by an outpouring of His Spirit without measure” (Evangelism. page 699).