Category Archives: Christianity
How Christianity is Using Small Groups
Group@Nativity Church by hoyasmeg
The United States and the world are experiencing a revolution in the Protestant faiths. In many countries, the change is labeled as emergent.
Although the experiences are slightly different at all the different denominations, one characteristic is true of all of them. They are organized around the small group. The groups meet in each other homes and are founded on the need we have for community and honesty. Too often in the organized religions, everything is done according to plan with little time given to the reality of each of our lives.
Of course, I have a particular belief that sharing and community in small groups has been greatly influenced by the leader of the 12 step groups—AA. Founded in 1938, AA has been such a phenomenon that it is estimated that there are close to 200 different types of 12 step groups.
Jesus and His disciplines used small groups to spread the Gospel. One organized church of today, Unitarian Universalist, has a well organized website devoted to topics, ideas, suggestions, for their small group ministry. The site has extensive resources for small groups with links for Christian and secular small groups. All the links for small groups is here. The links include: The joys and challenges of covenant,publications, and the complete guide to small group ministry.
How to begin a spiritual cell group is defined by Touch Outreach Ministries as “A spiritual cell group is very similar to a biological cell. Followers of Jesus Christ edify one another and increase the kingdom by sharing their lives with unbelievers. New leaders are raised up from within the group (with the support and training by their pastoral staff) to grow and expand the ministry to a hurting world. When the group multiplies, the process repeats itself.”
“Cell groups aren’t simply another name for a Bible study, fellowship group or Sunday School class. They are a group of believers who have banded together for a season in life to reach the lost, minister to the hurting and each other, and discover their leadership potential. Sure, cell groups study the Word, but they do so in order to live out what they read and use it effectively to penetrate a dark world with the light of Jesus Christ . . . which is quite different from studying a passage each week for general knowledge. Cell groups also have lots of fun together . . . but this fellowship is specialized in that it usually exposes unbelievers to a group of fun, Jesus-loving people. In other words, cell groups even use fellowship as an evangelistic tool! And last, it wouldn’t be right to call a Sunday morning classroom experience a cell group. A cell group should meet in a place and time that is comfortable for both the believers and unbelievers visiting, and provide enough time to share deep concerns and pray for one another. Rarely can either of these things be done within one hour at a church building, early on a Sunday morning.”
Other small groups links:
How Rick Warren built the Saddlebrook Church
Small groups, big ideas–the egalitarian workforce philosophy of W. L. Gore & Associates
Dawn Ministries whose goal is to raise 20,000 associates who will train 2 million church planters to plant 20 million churches by 2020.
Church Teams which is web-based group software to track ,map, and empower church small groups
Christianity Today in America
While traditional Christianity in America is experiencing a loss of members, the number of churchgoers is increasing. Where are the increased members going? The new members are creating growth in the “new” churches which are surprisingly like the old-time revivals. Donald E. Miller in his book, Reinventing American Protestantism believes that the new churches have grown because they offer four solutions for American families.
The following is an excerpt from M. Miller’s book”.
(1) Because of the isolation from core families, the new churches offer high degrees of community. They offer a new “family”of loving warmth and weekly acceptance to those persons living with apathy and rejection.
(2) Because of the high rate of violence/dysfunction in America, the new churches offer a wide variety of activities in a safe, loving environment where members know each other.
(3) The American family has been rapidly changing from two-parent family to one-parent family as well as experiencing high rates of addiction. The family problems need support and acceptance in the midst of these problems. Often times, the traditional church appear to be condemning and judging while the new churches offer solutions to pain and misery.
(4) Everyone needs hope and the knowledge that his/her life has direction and purpose. Hope is delivered in a message of fun and belonging.
One of the largest growing “new” churches is Calvary Chapel. On the website for Calvary Chapel, a map for the churches includes 51 chapels for Florida (where I live) and 300 for California. It also is spotlighted in Miller’s book. Calvary Chapel has experienced huge growth since its beginnings in 1970′s in California. The Cavalry website has a 58-page history of the movement.
Christian Resources Online
Many wonderful websites are devoted to helping Christians study, memorize or read Bible passages. My favorite site is www.biblelookup.com. I like it best because you can do a word search, a Bible passage lookup, and, my favorite, topical verses. I have always enjoyed Bible topic study. As a child, I loved the Bible passage searches in Sunday school.
The topic page for Biblelookup is divided into: attitudes and emotions; relationships; Christian’s faith; sin and temptation; future and prophecy; topics A-Z; God, Jesus and angels; search the Bible; money and possessions; software for PCs; miscellaneous; and contact information.
Other Christian resources websites are:
Bible Reading Plans : HEARTLIGHT®
International Bible Society :: IBS Home Page
If you are looking for a specific Bible verse
Daily Devotionals and Bible Verses :: ReligiousResources.org
BibleGateway.com- Audio Bibles, commentaries, dictionaries, and Bible study tools.
Bible Topics – What The Bible Says About… – Topical Bible Index
Well-Known Biblical Events :: Sort by Description, Biblical Order or Book of the Bible
images for the computer in the bible class
Crosswalk.com – Bible Study Tools
BibleGateway.com: Using the Bible Gateway on your website
BibleGateway.com: A searchable online Bible in over 35 languages and 50 versions.
