The Simple Church Meets Sunday School Care Groups

I had the privilege of teaching a Discipleship class for Dr. Hal Pettegrew at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary today. My presentation was largely the discipleship process suggested in Simple Church by Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger. I have written a bit about Simple Church previously:

• Are Home Bible Study Groups the Answer to the Simple Church?
• Growing Sunday Schools Have More Visitors Who Stick Around
• Focus on Worship AND Sunday School
• Moving Worshippers into Sunday School/Small Groups
• Characteristics of a Small Group/Home Bible Study Group.

But as I shared with Dr. Pettegrew’s students, I began to think that there is a functional simplicity in a discipleship process that includes Sunday School care groups. I wrote about Sunday School care groups in a five-part series in which I emphasized the potential of Sunday School’s ministry when carried out through care groups that care but do more than care. Check out the series:

• A Simple Two-Part System for Getting Sunday School Class Ministry Done, Part 1
• A Simple Two-Part System for Getting Sunday School Class Ministry Done, Part 2
• A Simple Two-Part System for Getting Sunday School Class Ministry Done, Part 3
• A Simple Two-Part System for Getting Sunday School Class Ministry Done, Part 4
• A Simple Two-Part System for Getting Sunday School Class Ministry Done, Part 5: Early Adjustments.

These care groups would care for members, absentees, and prospects. They would also encourage relationships through care and fellowships. They would encourage discipleship through practicing spiritual disciplines, pursuing practical topics of relevance in class and special study times, and investing in small group discussion. They would encourage service and ministry through leading out in projects to reach out and minister to p eople in the church and community. They would encourage multiplication through training apprentices/new leaders and supporting the start of new groups.

In many ways, classes with care groups who are carrying out that kind of ministry are “doing life together.” They are encouraging along the discipleship journey. They are represent one method for delivering the “simple church” in a day and time when complexity is on its way out. Chew on these thoughts and share your thinking by pressing the Comments button below. Stretch your Sunday School classes to carry out bigger pieces of the Great Commission and Great Commandment. Be revolutionary!