SG BASE OF THE EFFORT INTEGRAL DE LA IGLESIA

CONCEPT OF BASE Base from the Greek word basis means “sole of feet” “Whatever serves as foundation and support” Origin, foundation

WHAT DO THE SPECIALISTS SAY? Peter Wagner (Explosive Cell Growth of the Church) “Most churches today have broken down the barriers to church growth, one after the other, churches are emphasizing small groups in the homes, moving their infrastructure.”

Christian Schwarz (The Natural Development of the Church, 32 and 33) Studies have shown that the larger the church, the greater the importance of the family groups (SGs) looking toward the growth of the church. The SG is the catalyzer of the other growth indicators.

Joel Comiskey (Explosive Growth in the Cells of the Church) What exactly are the cells of a church? It is simply a church that places its small group evangelism in the center of its ministry. Cells ministry is nothing ‘more than a program’; it is the heart of the church.

Russell Burrill - (How to Revive the Church in the 21st Century; Revolution in the Church, ) “In the environment of the Seventh-day Adventist Church of the 21st Century, it is as necessary to belong to small group as it is to be present on Sabbath morning.” The reason is that the church will function as the base in the small groups, instead of being as the base in the congregational model..

Almost all Adventist pastors of the 19th Century were evangelists. The pastor of the 21st Century must enable, a train and equip..

Kurt Johnson – (Small Groups for the Time of the End) “If we want to be faithful to what the Bible and EGW say, small groups cannot be optional, but are the Basis of the Christian effort. They are the inspirational center of the activities of the church.”

David Cox “Small groups that are used of God can do more than possibly anything else to prepare us for that experience and keep us united until the coming of the day of the Lord.”

Ellen G. White “I saw the saints leaving the cities and villages, and associating together in companies, and living in the most solitary places.” (Early Writings, p. 282)

“The formation of small companies as the basis of Christian effort has been presented to me by One who cannot err.” (3 Testimony Treasurers, p. 84)

We have been wrongly interpreting word “formation”. Form and To form. “Formation” must be understood in the sense of the SG, it is the base upon which the effort of the church is built. The Small Group, in order of position, must be number one. This means, there should be no number two, if we do not have a number one.

Small Groups in formation do not reproduce. In the organization of the church, SGs are the base because the church is comprised of the cluster of SGs. The small SG is the base of the structure of the mission of the church. The base of a house

The SG is compared to the root of a tree “Ye shall know then by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. Every tree that bringeth not good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” (Matt. 7:16-19)

Squeezed branch Activities Not very faithful Force baptisms Increase in apostasy Few baptisms

Fortilizers Remove weeds Good ground, water Direct resources Instruct, motivate, train, equip Union, mission, pastor

BASE OF CONSTRUCTIONS