Small Groups

1
Small Groups

• He established twelve.
• (Mark 314)

2
What is a Small Group?

• A small group is where there is face-to-face
  interaction meaning, each person can communicate
  with the others without an intermediary.
• It is a group of mutual communication based on
  friendship and the companionship of the other
  people.

3

• According to Kart Lewin (1936), interdependence
  is the essential element of Small Groups.
• For Marvin E. Shaw (1949), small groups are
  defined as two or more persons who interact
  mutually to such a degree that each person
  influences the others and is influenced by the
  others.

4

• For the SDA Church the small group is the minimum
  expression of its organization (Ex. 1825)
• The number of its members is defined by the word
  small (Ex. 1825 and Mark 314).
• They are grouped, following geographic criteria
  or by affinity.

5

• There are three reasons for its organization To
  Nurture (feed), Train and Send (Mark 314).
• The Small Groups of the SDA Church are the places
  to take care of the Christian growth of each
  member.
• Small groups are organized for the fulfillment of
  the Mission of the church.

6
How many members should be in a Small Group?

• And Moses chose able menand made them heads
  overtens. (Ex. 18.25).
• And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth
  unto him whom he would and they came unto him.
  And he ordained twelve. (Mark 313, 14)

FLEXIBILITY
7
How many members

• How many members
• Specialists identify three types of groups
• Large Group (40 or more)
• Median Group (15 to 40)
• Small Group (3 to 12)

8
How to Organize a SG

• 1
• Form an organizing committee of the Small Groups
  from the local church
• (Pastor, Elder, Personal Ministries Director,
  SG Leader)

9
How to Organize

• 2
• Form a Small Group from the local church.
• SG leaders of the local church led by the pastor
  o the Personal Ministries Director.

10
How to organize

• 3
• Give each SG Leader the list of members he/she
  will visit, to invite them to join the Small
  Group.

11
How to organize

• 4
• Organize the Small Group with the participation
  of all members.
• Decide on The name, time and meeting place of
  the SG
• Objectives and Goals, Regulations and Roles of
  the SG members.

12
How to organize

• 5
• Present the SGs to the church and set them apart
  for the duties of the Small Groups.
• This ceremony should take place only after
  complying with points 3 and 4.

13
How to organize

• 6
• Initiate the official activities.
• Keep in mind the three objectives of the SG
• Nurture, Train and Send.

14
Purpose of Small Groups
Mark 314

• Three very important elements are found in this
  passage as the reasons to establish Small Groups
• To be with Jesus To strengthen Christian growth.
• To send them to preach TrainingCommission

15
Purpose of Small Groups

• These reasons are centered on the disciples
  (baptized church members). These are the ones who
  need to be with Jesus, to be trained for
  witnessing and to go out to fulfill the divine
  commission Go ye therefore and teach all
  nations (Matt. 2818-20).

16
Purpose of Small Groups

• The Small Group is the place par excellence
  where each baptized member receives spiritual
  attention from the church. It is there that
  he/she grows spiritually, learns how to witness
  for Christ and from there goes out to fulfill the
  mission.

17
Purpose of Small Groups

• And he ordained twelve, that they should be
  with him, and that he might send them forth to
  preach (Mark 314).

18
Purpose of Small Groups

• To Nurture
• Provide each member the nutrients needed for
  his/her spiritual development.

19
Purpose of Small Groups

• To Train
• Provide each member with the necessary tools to
  efficiently fulfill the mission of Christ.
• (Plant, develop and reap)

20
Purpose of Small Groups

• To Send
• To give each member the opportunity to testify
  of Gods love among his/her relatives, friends,
  neighbors and others.

21
Roles of the members of the SG

• SG Leader
• Is responsible for the group, indicates the
  North of the group, is the pastor of the group
  and guides its members in the fulfillment of the
  mission of Christ.
• Evangelism Coordinator
• Ensures that each member is assigned his
  missionary territory and takes care of it weekly.

22
Roles of the members of the SG

• Retention Coordinator
• Takes care of the Christian growth of each SG
  member
• Missionary Partners
• Care for his/her missionary partner and supports
  him/her in the missionary work in his/her
  territory.
• Small Group Secretary
• In charge of SGs record.

23
Small Group Meeting

• The weekly SG meeting is the best means of the
  church to train each of its members.

24
Small Group Meeting

• Weekly SG meeting
• Worship
• Intercessory prayer
• Nurture and training
• Send out to preach

25
Small Group Meeting

• Satisfying the essential needs of discipleship
• The Need to Live (physical) Food, Housing,
  Clothing and work.
• The Need to Learn (Intellectual)
• Reading, Training, etc.
• The Need to Love (Social) Good human relations
• The need to Worship (Spiritual) Devotional,
  Prayer, Church attendance, Missionary Work, Tithe
  and Offerings.

26
Goals of the Small Group

• Go ye therefore, and teach al nations,
  baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the
  Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Matt. 2819).
• Make each Small Group member a competent
  disciple.

27
Goals of the Small Group

• That each SG member takes care of four Bible
  students permanently.
• For every SG member, baptize two new disciples..

28
Goals of the Small Group

• Organize a basic-level Small Group each semester.
• Prepare a SG leader every semester.
• That each SG member be part of the Sabbath School
  and have all its devotional materials.

29
Small Groups according to Exodus 18 13-26
30
Continuation of SG according to Exodus

• Moses cared for the people from morning
  till evening.
• Jethro, his father in law, questioned this
  form of leadership
• Why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the
  people stand by thee from morning until
  even?...the thing that thou doest is not good.

31
Continuation of SG according to Exodus

• Jethro explains why the way he is attending to
  the people is wrong
• Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this
  people that is with thee for this thing is too
  heavy for thee thou art not able to perform it
  thyself alone.

32
Continuation of SG according to Exodus

• Jethro encourages Moses to organize Small Groups
  of tens
• thou shalt provide out of all the people able
  men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating
  covetousness and place such over them, to be
  rulers oftensSo it shall be easier for thyself,
  and they shall bear the burden with thee.

33
Cont. of SG according to Exodus

• Moses listens to the voice of God and organizes
  Small Groups of Ten
• So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father
  in law, and did all that he said.

34
Small Groups according to Matthew 935-104
35
Cont. SG according to Matthew.

• Jesus went about Galilee visiting and taking care
  of all the churches and congregations.
• And Jesus went about all the cities and
  villages, teachingpreachingand healing.

36
SG according to Matthew continues

• Jesus saw the helpless, scattered and needy
  multitudes, and the need of leaders to guide
  them
• But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved
  with compassion on them, because they fainted and
  were scattered abroad, as sheep having no
  shepherd.

37
SG according to Matthew continues

• Jesus recognizes that the task is very great to
  do it alone
• The harvest truly is plenteous, but the
  labourers are few.

38
SG according to Matthew continues

• Jesus establishes His Small Group of Twelve
• He prays for the leaders
• He makes a personal call
• He organizes the school for leaders
• Establishes the TWELVE.

39
HISTORY OF THE SMALL GROUP
40

• The Sabbath School class
• Has been present from the very beginning of the
  work. These are Small Groups that meet in the
  church every week to study the Bible and promote
  witnessing.

41

• Evangelizing Units
• These started in the second half of the 70s.
  They are small groups that were eventually
  organized to evangelize. Their base was the
  Sabbath School class.

42

• Koinonias
• These appeared during the first years of the
  80s. These were Small Groups that were organized
  to develop the spiritual life of the youth and
  reach the non-believers. These met once per week
  in the home of one of its members.

43

• Branch Sabbath School
• This Small Group came out of the Sabbath School
  class with the purpose of spreading the gospel.

44

• Graja
• These Small Groups were organized in 1985 to
  revitalize the AY Society of the local church and
  promote greater youth participation.

45

• Action Units
• These small Groups were organized in 1992 from
  the Sabbath School classes. The purpose was to
  energize the Sabbath School, to provide them with
  a more significant missionary space.

46
Weekly Small Group Mobilization

• The term mobilization is used here to mean Small
  Group member giving Bible studies.
• Weekly, the Small Group leader encourages and
  supports three of his/her members to witness with
  Bible studies. This is how he/she prepares them.
• This is repeated during the three moments of the
  process Sow, Nurture and Reap.

47
Weekly Mobilization of the Small Group
Week 1
Week 6
Week 2
Week 5
Week 4
Week 3
Richard
Paul
Monique
Monique
Richard
Paul
Small Group leader
Jeanne
Michel
Charles
Charles
Jeanne
Michel
Annie
Mary
Danièle
Danièle
Annie
Mary
48
Small Group Base or Coordination
49

• A Small Group base or Coordination is a type of
  special group that serves as monitors or to give
  attention to Small Groups on the Web.

50

• These groups meet with the leaders who have
  completed the function of uniting with the
  various SG levels of the SG Conference or
  Mission Web.