Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary
Fall 2020
Analysis Paper I
DSMN 630 – B02
Small Group Ministries
By
Margaret Humphrey
September 2020
Table of Contents
Introduction
Principles that form a small group
The Great Commandment
The Great Commission
The Great Example
The Great Illustration
The Great Plan
Summary
Current Small Group & Church Structure Analysis
Bibliography
Introduction
We can look to the Bible to provide us with the guidelines that will be the ethical
framework for small groups focusing on the examples given by Christ throughout the New
Testament. Dr. Dempsey outlines five biblical passages in the video Biblical Foundations, as
such, each ideology is a pathway to a healthy small group where disciples are encouraged to
grow and “it has the power to create community and connectedness.” (Dempsey 2018, 24). Small
groups meet the need for community and the desire for intimacy. “The heart cry of every human
is an overwhelming need for community. The healthy Christian lifestyle seeks to meet this need.
(Dempsey 2018 ,23).
Principles that form a Small Group
The Great Commandment
The Great Commandment is a guiding principle commonly referred to when we discuss
how to treat others. Including both Christ and non-Christ followers alike. We are given a
commandment to treat others like God loves us. “And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord
your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great
and [a]foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew37-40, NASB)
To have direction from the Son of God should provide us with the validation necessary to
humble ourselves and put the need of others before our own. Small groups grant us the
opportunity to create environments where service and sacrifice can be put into practice." Small
groups are not always cohesive, but we should note that Christ had the challenge of how to unify
disciples. “Jesus had a huge challenge to unite such a diverse group. He brought together
disciples who were temperamental and easily offended. They often saw each other as
competitors. It wasn’t easy for them to wash each other’s feet (John 13:14), but Jesus told them
that people outside the community would recognize they were his disciples by the love they had
for one another.” (Comiskey 2017, 45) That love outsiders see would be the necessary visual for
bringing the lost to Him.
The Great Commission
“Every follower of Jesus must take seriously the Great Commission.” (Dempsey 2018,
26). The principles behind the Great Commission gives Christ followers clear and concise
instructions to live out the life God has set before us. The Great Commission is not a new
philosophy that should be lived out by a select group of leaders, it is an attitude that helps us to
navigate wisely and with a rhythm that is dependent on faith in His timing and His plan. We are
given the Great Commission in Matthew after Jesus is risen and before he has ascended into
Heaven, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19–
20, CSB) Jesus knew that being a disciple would not be for the faint at heart. Hard work,
commitment and conviction would be necessary to carry out the will of God. “Jesus did not leave
room for people to remain neutral. (Comiskey 2017, 73) Having the foreknowledge to require
faith of his disciples would equip them to align their missions with the word of God. Small group
members that challenge each other are silently equipping one another for the faith that will be
required to follow Christ with the sanctity this world will require.
The Great Example
Another principle exemplified so perfectly by Christ is that of the Great Example, simply
stated, Christ advises us to follow His example of what church should look like. The bible
illustrates perfectly the ideal image of a healthy small group. “Day by day continuing with one
mind in the temple, and breaking bread [as]from house to house, they were taking their
[at]meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart” (Acts 2: 46, NASB) Here we see the
disciples doing life together, taking advantage of the comradery that binds them together. We
know that when humans have a common belief togetherness strengthens that belief and allows
one to live out their belief in a productive way. Small groups allow like-minded individuals to
grow from each other and practice philosophies in a healthy environment.
The Great Illustration
The Great Illustration is a guideline that is Paul digs into when addressing the Church of
Corinthian to illustrate how a church that is challenged on living with standards set forth by
Christ. The body of Christ must work together to effectively serve our community. The value of
realizing that each body part has an importance that no other body part can play requires selfless
thought and maturity. “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the
members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.” (I Corinthians
12:12, NASB) A healthy small group that works together to be a people that is convicted by the
concept that one’s importance in a community is judged not by the job they do will become a
harmonious people with compassion for the viewpoint of others.
The Great Plan
The final principle discussed by Dr. Dempsey is that of knowing that the mission of the
church will need to be fulfilled with a plan. Within that plan God has placed people in our lives
to equip us. “He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and
some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the
building up of the body of Christ;” (Ephesians 4:11 -12, NASB) When we understand the intent
to grow people in their walk with Christ, we will know that the plan He created to mature us is
the one that requires others to build us up. “No Christian can grow strong and stand the
pressures of this life unless he is surrounded by a small group of people who minister to him and
build him up in the faith. (Colson, 1987,47)
Summary
Each principle discussed is relational in context to encourage the growth necessary to
become devoted, engaged Christ followers. There is something to be said when a community
begins to identify as a family. “The Jesus strategy of house to house ministry and the early house
church environment combined to create the atmosphere from which the theological doctrine of
the family of God emerged. The early disciples were simply following their master in
emphasizing the new family of God based in homes.” (Comiskey 2017, 60). The family model is
used throughout the church to glorify and honor God. Small groups often meet in homes and by
doing so they resemble the family often described in the bible, “taking their meals together with
gladness and sincerity of heart” (Acts 2:46, NASB) Small groups function within the structure of
the church to provide a safe place for growth and community.
Current Small Group & Church Structure Analysis
When asked to identify the type of church structure I currently attend, and utilizing the
WITH/OF/IS CHART alongside the CHURCH STRUCTURE CHART, I really had to dig into
the attributes of all four structures and pray about what the right answer would be. Once I
discovered there really is not a “right” answer I still struggled to identify one specific intentional
type. The church I currently attend does not simply fall under one classification – you see there
are some aspects where my church is identified by either the hybrid, organic or attractional
model. There are instances where I think we strive to perform at a level where we would be well
received by outsiders rather than perform where God would use us best. I can point to examples
with my church where we implement change at a lever that is missional rather than evangelical,
but for the most part change, at the congregation level is often ill received. One might think it has
to do with the leadership not informing the congregation as to the motive of the change.
There are other instances where we perform at level that is not either organic, attractional
or hybrid, but at a healthy level of all three. For example, our lead pastor often preaches on
topics that are for with the seeker or the believer and rarely does so lightly. For the most part he
preaches what the Bible says and does so with the authority of Christ. Stepping on toes is
something he does well, just not often enough. Church should not always be for the weak
hearted, at times we need our leaders to give us the details at a level that is going to cause
repentance.
There are several aspects where we easily fit into one classification or another, however,
based on just these two examples it would be an injustice to label my church as either one or the
other – for we are not a church that is an either/or as it relates to church structure. We are a home
for any of the four and attempt to accommodate each child of God. Should I be forced to make a
choice I would classify our church as leaning more to the “hybrid” model as that classification
seems like the safest choice.
If we were to sit and discuss my small group, I would say that we are an organic model.
We simply meet and discuss. No agenda, no judgement and no reservations. We simply exist to
connect each other to like-minded individuals. We are a group that meet and connects in hopes
that you will find another person who is walking a similar journey and is at a similar place within
that journey.
Bibliography
Colson, Charles W., and Ellen Santilli. Vaughn. 1987. Kingdoms in Conflict. Grand Rapids, Mi:
Harper Paperbacks.
Comiskey, Joel. 2016. Biblical Foundations for the Cell-Based Church: New Testament Insights
for the 21st Century Church. Moreno, CA: CCS Publishing.
Dempsey, Rod, and Dave Earley. 2016. Leading Healthy Growing Multiplying Small Groups.
Lynchburg, VA, VA: Liberty University Press.
Dempsey, Rod. “Biblical Foundations.” Lecture in DSMN 630 at Liberty University, Lynchburg,
VA February 19, 2018
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