So, I figure that this online blogy-thingy would be as good a place as any to record some notes/thoughts/lists?/ideas from and during my journey through Neal F. McBride’s How to Lead Small Groups. I am venturing down the trail of leadership, and while I am realizing some God-given gifts and talent, I am also recognizing the frightening reality and responsibility of leading people. It is hard!
So, here we are, in the development of House Church Pastor leadership documents…i.e. a “Job Description” or “Leadership Contract”… I am unsure of how much material is too much at this stage, but I DO KNOW that more is better than none?… So please pray that God would be clear in how He’d like these ideas, methods, and ‘terms of service’ outlined.
So the first chapter of my book is about defending/knowing in case of the need to defend small group necessity based on Scriptural Support. So…
-Old Testament Roots:
a. Gen. 1:1 God (Elohim) exists as plural, a.k.a. TRIUNE, which is arguably enough proof that a small group is a representation of Himself…
b.Concept of groups further broken down/exampled by God’s chosen people, the Israelites…nation, tribe, family/clan, and household, father/man (Deut. 7:6, 7-8, Ex. 40:38, Gen. 49, Josh. 13-22, Num. 26:21-49, Gen. 50:8, Deut. 6:22)
-New Testament Roots:
a.Jesus Christ as perfect small group leader…(Eph 5:1-2 Imitators of God, i.e. Christ) Becoming Christlike is not simple, easy, or even easily explained…Not necessarily replicating/duplicating every act of Jesus, i.e. healing a blind man’s sight by spitting on his eyes [Mark 8:23], but replicating BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS is the idea…
b.Jesus’ establishment of His small group (disciples)…(Matt. 4:18-22, 10:2-4, Luke 6:13-16) He ELECTED to est. this group, He certainly did not need the companionship or assistance of the disciples…
c.Jesus actively participated in BOTH small and large group ministries (Mark 12:37=large, Matt. 26:6=small)…often withdrew from large group ministry to the familiarity and support of His select small group (Mark 3:7)
d.Jesus’ amount/nature of time spent with small group-travelling, sharing meals, experiencing mutual hardship, literally living together…closer to crucifixion, we see less time spent with multitudes and more and more time with small group…
e.Jesus’ time and attention to RELATIONSHIP, NOT ORGANIZATION…did not proclaim earthly organization, but a heavenly realm (Luke 17:20-21)…as a practical demonstration of the gospel, HE chose to spend time with people, caring, healing, listening, forgiving, encouraging, teaching, and preaching.
f.Why? Jesus used this context to TEACH and MODEL: spiritual knowledge, attitudes and behavior. Not a formal or academic experience. All members simply PARTICIPATED in whatever Christ was doing, where He was going, etc. Through this intimacy, the members were “granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God…” (Luke 8:10). “LIVING-LEARNING LABORATORY”
g.Leadership Training. Common men, uneducated, but willing to follow Him (Acts 4:13, John 17).
h.Met in Homes…(Romans 16:3-5, Philemon 1:2)
i. ACTS 2:42-47 A PICTURE OF THE FUNCTIONING CHURCH OF GOD
j.Involvement in large group meetings as well (Acts, 3:11-26, 6:9-10, 8:4-8, 17:1-4)
I love the conclusive paragraph McBride writes, as he tries to explain the paradigm shift of the first-century church to what we understand to be “church” today! “Large public meetings became more difficult as time passed. The church began to encounter increasing persecution. Followers of Jesus Christ found they were unwelcome in the temple, synagogues, and public forums. Small home meetings, therefore, took on an even greater significance. Nevertheless, it would be a mistake to conclude that house churches were exclusivley a result of persecution. Before or during and with or without persecution, active participation in a house church was not considered an option-it was the norm!“
He later describes how Constantine made Christianity legal and churches sprung up and badda bing, badda boom, we are trapped in the ideology that CHURCH is the church building, not the people who go…!!!???
THATS THE POINT. IT’S THE PEOPLE. DUH. THE PEOPLE ARE THE CHURCH.