A very short history of small groups!
Over the last 20 years small groups have been a vital part of church life. Some of us will remember Pilgrim Groups, and Root & Branch Groups, and most recently Mid Week Groups. Each name described a way of meeting in small groups that fitted church life and growth at a particular time.
What they all have in common is the idea that meeting with a small group of other Christians is an essential part of growth. We can’t grow alone, yet the congregation is too big to get to know people 1-1. So the small group has always been the way to ask questions, pray and get prayed for, explore doubts, discover new insights, serve and support each other . . . and a whole host of other things.
All through the Bible we can see this happening: Isaiah and other prophets had small groups or ‘schools’ where they learnt and understood their prophetic role, the first disciples lived and worked in a small group, the first churches were small groups which met in people’s homes.
Last year we decided that it was the right time to think again about how we do small groups. As times change, so our needs and focus change.
As part of developing new ideas we asked people what they thought of our current groups, and why they were, or were not, part of the network.
So what did we say?
Firstly: we said a lot! Over 100 people responded on paper and on-line. This is brilliant, so THANK YOU for taking the time to express your thoughts. Every one was interesting and insightful. Thanks also to Helen Bowden, who gave much time and work to analysing and summarising the responses for us.
In what follows, I have tried to summarise the results. Behind these simple comments are the many pages of personal comments which we have kept confidential as promised.
So, many hours of analysis later here are some of the things we discovered . . .
- 100% of people thought that groups were key to Christian growth . . . members and non-members alike!
- Most of us think that 8-12 is the best size of group to be part of.
- Nearly two thirds of us think that Bible study is the most important role of our small groups, with almost half saying that prayer was the next most important role.
These three simple, but important, headlines tell us that as a church we believe in small groups. Of course that does not mean we all act on those beliefs! Over half of those who responded were very positive about groups, but are not part of one themselves!
So what else did we say?
1. The 7 things we most value
Friendship/fellowship- Support
- Bible study
- Prayer
- Safe space/ encountering different people/perspectives
- Discipleship/exploring how to live as Christians together
- Being in a smaller group
2. Focus and satisfaction
- 80% of people who are in groups think that they provide good Bible Study and pastoral care
- Variety with clarity of focus. Whilst most people feel that prayer and study are key needs for our groups, many wanted a clearer focus, which might be different for each group. We could have groups clearly aimed at: people of different faith stages, particular ministry or interest (eg social justice)
- The majority of people thought that groups should focus on either a specific task or ministry, or be centred on a particular geographical location, or both!
- The keys to successful groups were thought to be: (a) mature Christian leadership; (b) good study material; and (c) being committed to being with the group for the long term.
3. Joining Groups
A number of people identified things that prevented them from joining.
- Not knowing the Bible well
- Groups being cliquey or ‘closed’ to outsiders (often because they have been established for a long time)
- Shyness
- Fear of praying in a group of others
- Lack of publicity and information about groups
- Almost one third of people who don’t currently attend groups felt that our groups were hard to join.
Many of these and other responses seem to indicate that there is some fear around being able to join a group. In the responses people commented that the following make it much easier to join:
- A personal invitation from someone you know
- Good, clear publicity about the groups
- An open hearted welcome when you go
- A clear focus for what the group is about
4. Organising things
Various comments were made about how we should organise our network.
Groups to be connected together to make sure they don’t become isolated or inward looking. It would also build bridges across the church.- Weekly is best for continuity, care and making the group work
- A central meeting would be good as part of the pattern which would offer a chance to communicate ‘whole church’ information, mission support and prayer, or a specific social, teaching or worship focus.
5. What hasn’t worked?
It was clear that there were some areas where we need to improve our work!
- Publicity needs to be present, clear, available, interesting and highlighted in our churches and events.
- We need more support and training for group leaders so that they feel enabled, empowered and enthused about the role.
- Groups have not been good at drawing new people towards church or faith. There are some complex questions about how groups should fit into an overall evangelistic strategy
Where does this all lead us?
It gives us some challenges and questions that we should all be thinking about. The material has been looked at in some depth by staff, midweek group leaders and others and there has been much prayer and thought about what we should do next.
There were some good practical ideas to address some of the challenges we face, such as having group welcome evenings or using photos of groups in church so you can see before committing!
Perhaps most importantly we need to continue to seek God’s guidance for us as individuals and as a church. The survey was not intended as a democratic exercise to decide a new shape by committee, but the insights are very important and any new plan needs to take account of those.
If you have any reflections on reading this then please contact Simon as we would be glad to hear them. Next months magazine will have the outline of the way forward, so make sure you get the next instalment!
Some questions for us all to think about…
What has God been doing in your life in the last two weeks?- How are you growing as a Christian?
- If you’re part of a small group, what contribution do you make to the group, and what do you like about it?
- If you’re not part of a small group, why not? How will you grow by yourself?
Simon Heathfield
Return to Index for the Parish of Walthamstow Magazine, July 2009
SUNDAY 19th July 2009
