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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Analysis Paper 1
Submitted to Dr. Rod Dempsey
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
DSMN 630 – B01
Small Group Ministries
by
Brian Mclaughlin
May 26th, 2022
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Contents
Primary Passages……..…………………………………………………………………………2
Principles………………………………………………………………………………………2-4
Church Structure……………………………………………………………………………….4
Small Group Structure……………………………………………………………………….5-6
References……………………………………………………………………………………….7
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Primary Passages
Small group ministries must have a firm foundation and plan in place for it to be
impacting in the lives of those who choose to follow Jesus Christ. The primary passages in the
Bible that are supportive of small group ministry are:(Psalm 133, Matthew 18:20, John 13:34-35,
Acts 5:42, Gal 6:1-2). All of these represent and underscore the importance of working together
through things to grow together and be helpful to one another. The way that small groups are
useful in the church largely depends on the material that is being taught. When the church is
consistently basing their teachings on the gospel of Jesus Christ, then there is a very strong
possibility that the small group is being successful.
Principles
The Bible tells of what it means of living for God solely as opposed to being in
relationship with someone else. Just as told in (Psalm 133, ESV), “Behold, how good and
pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity![a]2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down
on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! 3 It is like the dew
of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the LORD has commanded the
blessing, life forevermore.”1 God is pleased when the body of Christ works together in complete
harmony. Small groups work best when there is that cohesiveness. As Comiskey states, “…The
Trinity dwells in perfect unity and community. God is not a lone individualist, and this fact
1 Unless otherwise noted, all scripture is taken from the English Standard Version
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should stir God’s people away from rugged individualism…”2 God’s intention was and is for us
to be in relationship with Him and one another. In fact, it says in (Matthew 18:20), “For where
two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.” This scripture provides strong
meaning to why it is good to have us gather together. Just as God is love, so we too are to love
one another. So, in the gatherings of small groups, there needs to be unity and love for each
other. As said in the book of (John 13:34-35), “34 A new commandment I give to you, that you
love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people
will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Knowing that it is better to work together than individually, it is equally important to
understand that God has made each of us unique. God has a plan for us and provides the way and
the means to have fellowship together. Having fellowship and discipleship in our homes provides
ways for people to open more too. This is what happened in (Acts 5:42), “42 And every day, in the
temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is
Jesus.” In this way, the church grew exponentially. People were being added daily. Small groups
today when present, do have stronger growth in the church. The reason why small groups work is
due to people within the group bringing out their uniqueness, that in turn contributes to the
group.
Another positive aspect in small groups is representing and sharing Christ in the
community. Just as love and unity is to be shared, there also needs to be times where believers
and non-believers need to be real with one another as well. A perfect biblical example of this is
in (Gal 6:1-2), “Brothers,[a] if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should
2 Comiskey, Joel. Biblical Foundations for the Cell-based Church: New Testament Insights for the 21st Century
Church. 43. Moreno, CA: CCS Publishing, 2016.
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restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one
another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
The Great Commission that Jesus Christ gives is to spread the gospel to all nations, tribe
and tongue. A solid way to have people connect is by the community that the Christian man or
woman is surrounded by. In fact, Earley and Dempsey state, “Some Christians consider leading a
small group to be just another program or a peripheral ministry in the church. They are sadly
mistaken. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the very Son of God, the second person of the
Trinity, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords was a small group leader. Being a member of
leading a small group held a central place in His time, heart, ministry and methodology.”3 Jesus
knew that it would not take much to have a great impact. He did not choose seventy or even fifty
people. He chose twelve disciples and through those twelve that He chose, the world would
never be the same again. In small groups when they are started out small, they will multiply with
a greater opportunity to reach people in a larger capacity.
Church Structure
Mt. Zion Baptist Church of Nashville, TN is hybrid as taken from the Church Structure
Chart. Led by Bishop Joseph Walker III, a deacon body, elders and professional staff. Bishop
Walker is truly a visionary as he continues to implement new ideas and leadership values that
help the church stay plugged into different aspects like social media or other platforms he
chooses to use. With the use of these current platforms, there is a high level of accountability in
place to see to it that these methods are carried out. The greatest asset of Mt. Zion is that the
church is all about the people and the authority of the Bible. The way the church is operated is in
3 Earley, Dave, and Rod Dempsey. Leading Healthy, Growing, Multiplying Small Groups. 27. Lynchburg: Liberty
Press, 2015.
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alignment with scripture. Mt. Zion maintains the correct way that business is handled by having
the Biblical standard. The church looks for ways to connect to all types of groups by social
media, small groups, and outreach by using the standard that is outlined in the Bible. The church
is not a perfect place. If it were there would be no reason to have Jesus Christ, there. God is the
only one who is perfect. He has a perfect plan from the beginning, and it continues today.
According to Comiskey, “God’s plan throughout the ages is to call out a people to model his
triune nature of love, unity, and purity. Even though Israel failed to exemplify this community,
God’s plan did not fail. His family plan continued with Christ and the church.”4 Knowing that the
body of Christ will not please everyone, gives an even greater reason to minister to people
stronger.
Small Group Structure
In looking at the combination of Mt. Zion’s structure. It weighs strongly in the “with” and
“of” in the Church Structure Chart. As a “with” structure, Mt. Zion has Bishop Walker, deacons
and elders in the church. Specifically, in the “of” category, Bishop Walker III is in favor of the
small groups. The church is community and family driven. There are multiple ways for people to
be discipled in the church or through the small group programs. As a “with” structure, Mt. Zion
has Bishop Walker, deacons and elders in the church. Everything that is done in the church are
absolutely mission critical to seeing the Great Commission be utilized. Mt. Zion constantly is
looking for helpers to come alongside and be used to further the gospel. There are a lot of
overlapping that takes place in the “of” and “is” categories. Mt. Zion has multiple churches that
use people in all three in paid positions as well as stay true to the gospel being spread locally and
globally. Right now, the church is going through a Project 1866 which provides to open more
4 Comiskey, Joel. Biblical Foundations for the Cell-based Church: New Testament Insights for the 21st Century
Church. 72. Moreno, CA: CCS Publishing, 2016.
-re
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ministry avenues. This is turn will provide the opportunity to have more kids’ programs and
scholarship endowments along the way.
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References:
Comiskey, Joel. Biblical Foundations for the Cell-Based Church: New Testament Insights for the
21st Century Church. Peabody: CCS Publishing, 2012
Earley, Dave, and Rod Dempsey. Leading Healthy, Growing, Multiplying Small Groups.
Lynchburg: Liberty Press, 2015.
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