We often think of church in the macro. By that, I mean the corporate worship services, corporate evangelism, churchwide fellowships, and of course, a churchwide budget. But your church is really made up of a number of smaller units that together compose the whole. You may call them home groups, Sunday School classes, LifeGroups, Bible fellowships, etc. But these smaller groups are the key to a healthy church.
How vital are they? They are so vital that the mission of your church should be reflected in every one of these groups. Physically, every cell in your body contains your entire DNA – that’s right, all of it! Every cell in the local church should also contain the church’s missional DNA!
We often think of ways that we wish our church could make our class better. Things like: better chairs; better rooms; better literature; more prospects (don’t you love that word “prospect”); and better training. But the real way we should think of this is: what can my class do to make our church a better church?
For years we have thought of Sunday School in the large or macro image. For many churches, we are about to begin a new Sunday School year. What would happen if we transformed our thinking for this new year. What can our group do to make our church a better place to worship? a better place to minister? a better place to serve?
How about: What can our group do this year to make our church a better place to belong?
I’ve noticed that God often starts an awakening with just a handful of people and then the movement spreads. It could be that your class could be the group of people that God uses to transform your church and then transform your community!
I want to encourage you to put some ideas in the comment box and share some ideas of how your group could make your church a better one!
A group of 10 that doubles every two years or less will reach 1000 people in 10 years. That is the power of 1 group.
Josh
One of the best ways for a group to make their church a better one is to train leaders to go start a new class. Right now we are in the midst of enlisting teachers and a group can have an enviroment year round where they are enlisting leaders.
This article is right on, because it expounds on perhaps the basic of all principles of Sunday School: The basic unit of Sunday School is the individual class. I borrowed–with Bob Mayfield’s permission!–the phrase “The Power of One” as the subtitle of my little booklet “Connect3,” which you can download free (along with free teaching helps and even an mp3 version) at http://www.lifeway.com/article/168900/. The principle of the Power of One group is also the foundation of the “Power Up” emphasis used so effectively among Oklahoma Baptists as well as several other states. Check it out at http://www.bgco.org/powerup
Josh – Exactly! One group or class with a vision can change a church. And a church with a vision can change an entire community. Ultimately then, it only takes one Bible study leader with a heart to see people transformed by the Spirit to make their church a better place for people to belong. And more groups not only makes room for more people, it also puts more people providing ministry and developing leaders.