LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Small Group Training Manual
Submitted to Dr. Rod Dempsey
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
DSMN 630– B01
Small Group Ministries
by
July 3, 2019
Content
Introduction....................................................................................................................................1
Motivations for Developing Groups.............................................................................................1
Biblical Foundations for Groups..................................................................................................3
What is a Small Group..................................................................................................................6
How to Develop Small Group Leaders.........................................................................................7
How to Lead a Group....................................................................................................................8
How to Grow Small Groups........................................................................................................10
How to Multiply Small Groups...................................................................................................11
How to Develop/Transition to Small Groups in Your Church.................................................12
Bibliography 14
ii
Introduction
There are many reasons to write a small group training manual. Some manuals instruct in
ways to accomplish a task, while others provide guidelines for people to learn a company’s
procedures for conducting business or to manufacture a product. The small groups training
manual was written long ago when God walked the earth in the human form of Jesus Christ.
Sure, His followers have broken it down into simple language that most all believers can
understand, but the goal is the same; to train disciple-making disciples who can fulfill the Great
Commission. The foundation for this training manual is found in the Bible. Its scriptural
foundations were established and practiced by Jesus. His disciples continued to practice this form
of ministry even after He departed to sit at the right hand of the Father.
One may wonder what would motivate a church to establish small group ministries, what
are the biblical foundations for this type of ministry, or perhaps even what exactly is a small
group. These and other questions will be answered in the following pages.
Motivations for Developing Groups
So, it seems that the traditional church is not working as well as it once did. The culture
has shifted, and socio-political boundaries have been stretched to the point of breaking. The cry
of the people has morphed into deafening screams for something that can make a person feel
loved, needed, and appreciated. People are searching for themselves in all the wrong places.
They need a purposeful life and they are not finding it in the many social media platforms
provided through an ever-strengthening world wide web. “Unfortunately, as the interest in social
media as a venue for interaction with others has significantly increased, participation in
traditional (i.e., ‘‘real-time’’) community service and civic engagement programs seems to be
1
waning.”1 While the internet strengthens its control and holds over people’s lives, they are
drowning in themselves. People are looking for someone or something to provide comfort, love
and a sense of self-worth. Yet, what they need transcends what the world can offer. All that they
seek is already there, just a prayer away. “Christians certainly aren’t the only ones to lament the
fragmentation of society. Christian or not, we all have an intrinsic need for community. We all
suffer from the isolation that sin breeds. Our neighbors are desperate to belong and be connected
to people.”2 Yet, the church is not reaching them. The principal motivation for developing a small
group ministry is supported by the Great Commission. Jesus sends the believer out of the church
and into the world “like sheep into the midst of wolves” (Matt.10:16a, NRSV),3 with the Holy
Spirit’s guidance and the strength and power of His name. The Disciples of Christ are not meant
to attend church service once or twice a week and worship God for an hour and then go home.
They have been given a commission, a command to “Go therefore 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 that I have commanded you” (Matt 28:19-20). Small group
ministries train, teach, strengthen, encourage, and mature disciples so that they may fulfill God’s
call to multiply. Small group ministries are based on the ministry of Jesus and are part of a
growing community.
The fundamental need to belong to a community is not just a Christian need, it is a human
need. No sociologist or psychologist questions this need. As Brad House rightly concludes, “It is
1 John August Hoffman, "Millennials, Technology and Perceived Relevance of Community Service Organizations:
Is Social Media Replacing Community Service Activities?" The Urban Review 49, no. 1 (03, 2017): 140-52,
http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1867932796?
accountid=12085, 141.
2 Brad House, Community: Taking Your Small Group off Life Support, (Wheaton: Crossway, 2011), Ch. 1, para 5
(page numbers are not available).
3 Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the New Revised Standard Version (Oxford, NY:
Oxford University Press, 2010).
2
not merely a Christian understanding; it is a human understanding.”4 If the church appears off-
limits to the unbeliever, or as a place for a priest and holy people, they will never enter and hear
the message of the cross. The church must go back to what God intended it to be. Some churches
must let God be the King of the entire world, not just the church. Some churches need to return
to the community of believers found in the book of Acts, where people lived closely and were
intricately tied to each other’s lives. This is called a community in the book of Acts. It is a group
of people working together, sharing together, loving each other and following Christ in
obedience and devotion together. That is what small groups can provide. “The primary purposes,
passions, and practices of the healthy small group are focused on developing community. The
Bible supplies the clearest guidelines for how to develop a community in your group.”5 Biblical
principles must be the foundation for a small group ministry.
Biblical Foundations for Groups
Some people may balk at the creation of a small group ministry in their traditional
church. Christians have historically practiced the early church leader’s establishment of the order
of service, programs, and outreach services for many generations. This church model worked for
many years and it was not wrong. Yet, it was not exactly the paradigm Jesus lived during His
time on earth. The traditional church believes that small group ministry is a new idea. It may not
easily make the transformation into the organic church model, which “is” a church of small
groups.6 If the church is to make the first step toward transformation to the community of
believers as God designed, Spirit-led leaders must demonstrate to the church that small group
ministry is not only biblical, it is divinely inspired by Jesus Christ. It is not a new idea; it is an
ancient, perfect idea.
4 Brad House, Community, Ch 1, para. 7.
5 Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey, Leading Healthy, Growing, Multiplying Small Groups, (Lynchburg: Liberty Press,
2015), 38
6 Ibid., 182.
3
Jesus practiced small group ministry during His time upon the earth. In His ministry,
Jesus walked in the daily lives of unbelievers, offering them an exemplar of agape love. He
modeled the Kingdom of God on earth. They lived together, shared financial wealth and
resources, prayed, and studied the scripture together. Jesus taught them in the homes of others or
aside the road under a tree. Thomas D. Lea and David Alan Black sum it up quite nicely. They
write;
Jesus sometimes used object lessons to communicate concrete truth to his listeners. He
washed the feet of the disciples to impress them with their need for humility (John 13:3–
11). He called a little child to him to discuss childlike faith (Matt. 18:1–5), and he
described unselfish giving as he watched a destitute widow drop two small coins into the
temple offering box (Mark 12:41–44). Jesus probably spoke the parable of the sower
within viewing distance of a farmer tossing out seed (Luke 8:4–15).7
Paul also demonstrated small group ministry in a lifetime devoted to the establishment of
the church. The astute student of small group ministry will note a biblical commitment to the
community. Paul’s letters to the first century churches encouraged them to work together as one
for one purpose, which is God’s will, (1 Corinthians 12:14-26) to love and support one another (1
Thess. 5:14), and to bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2). Romans 12:4-5 tells the believers,
“For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so
we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.”
The book of Acts provides the clearest example of a Christian community. It is in these
pages that one may clearly see Jesus’s mission become the mission of His community of
followers. The book of Acts traces the events of this community led by the Holy Spirit working
toward this purpose. For example, in Acts, chapter two, the reader finds a biblical example of a
community or small group ministry. Verses 46-47 are particularly revealing. It is written, “Day
7 Thomas D. Lea and David Alan Black, The New Testament: Its Background and Message, (Nashville: B&H
Publishing, Group, 2002), 111.
4
by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their
food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And
day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” There is no lack of
information regarding biblical foundations for small group ministry. God intended for His people
to worship together and to live each day as a part of one body working together to complete His
mission of restoration for the world. This is the very essence of small group ministry. Joel
Comiskey believes,
The disciples in Acts followed Christ’s strategy by reaching the family household
structure (Oikos)with the gospel message and then the entire city. One of the major
reasons the early church was so effective was because they infiltrated the basic fabric of
society—families living in homes. One problem with the church today is that people go
to an event in a building, participate in various programs, but their lives don’t change.8
Perhaps the reason Christianity is declining in America is that the church is not touching
or changing lives. It seems too many modern churches focus on programs that cater to the
modern societal expectation of gratification. People do not need to be satisfied where they are–
caught in the web of sin. They need a way out of the prison societal expectations have placed
them in. They need to be shown a way to a better life, a happier life, and an eternal life of joy in
the presence of God. They desire to feel needed, appreciated, worthy and loved. Every business
on earth understands how marketing and supply and demand works to build a business. If they
will not come to the church, the church must go to them, right where they are. The church must
use a means of communication to convey the message of the cross that burns the web of sin away
using the grace and love of God. Small group ministry is the way to reach these people where
they are. It is inclusivity they seek and love they need. If the community of a small group
8 Joel Comiskey, Biblical Foundations for the Cell-Based Church: New Testament Insights for the 21st Century
Church, (Peabody: CCS Publishing, 2012), 83.
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ministry is invited in and practices the love of Christ, the Holy Spirit will do the rest and
transform their hearts.
What is a Small Group?
One may wonder what exactly a small group is. A small group is people who connect to
one another and form relationships that help them develop spiritually and biblically to become
disciple-making disciples. They come together in love, caring for one another’s needs as they
honor and worship God, and to study and apply His word in the hope of making a difference in
someone’s life. In other words, they are a community of Christ serving the mission of God. They
encourage one another and grow in faith and obedience as they follow Christ in His mission to
restore the world back into a right relationship with God. Their goals include growing their
community in quality and quantity. As Jeffrey Arnold writes, “The ideal group engages each
member in discipleship while encouraging each individual to make a positive contribution for the
growth of others.”9 According to various authors, small groups are intentional, Spirit-led, and
focused on discipleship and missional. Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey offer an acrostic that
encompasses some aspects of a healthy small group. They write, “G.R.O.U.P. stands for the
following, ‘G’ stands for Guided by a Leader, ‘R.’ stands for Regular Meeting Times, ‘O.’ stands
for Open God’s Word, ‘U.’ stands for United in Service, and ‘P.’ stands for Prayer for One
Another.”10 This student believes small groups are communities of Christ working in the mission
of God as modeled by Jesus in His earthly ministry. The goal is to develop healthy, growing,
loving discipleship communities that permeate the unbeliever's heart and life with God’s love
and salvific acts. Small groups are not created for the believer to meet and fellowship with each
9 Jeffrey Arnold, The Big Book on Small Groups, (Downers Grove: IVP Press, 2004), 29.
10 Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey, Leading Small Groups, 31-34.
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for enjoyment’s sake. The small group should be a disciple-making lifestyle that is inclusive and
inviting to all that would come to know God and His love.
How to Develop Small Group Leaders
How does one develop small group leaders? That is an important question. A small group
ministry is just a group of people gathered together for fellowship, bible study, and perhaps a bit
of fun if they are not creating disciple-making disciples. Small group ministry only survives if
there is multiplication. The best small group ministry training model to implement is that of
Jesus Christ. Palmer Becker offered the following;
Jesus modeled servant leadership. Servant leaders focus on the needs and possibilities of
those entrusted to their care. As responsibility is delegated to you, you will also want to
delegate responsibilities to your Care Group members once they develop the qualities and
skills to handle them. Jesus gave up position and power to become an available and
personal servant leader. Through personal relationships, Jesus helped people make
decisions that were best for them and helpful to God. Follow in Jesus' steps.11
As a small group leader, it is vitally important to remember that all Christians are
servants of God, working together with God to complete His mission. Leaders are there to guide
and direct group members within the boundaries of God’s love and grace.
The first step in choosing an apprentice or apprentices is for the small group leader to
immediately seek God’s guidance as to which member or members of the group would make a
suitable apprentice. The next step in developing a small group leader is to determine the depth of
spiritual maturity, faith, and integrity of the apprentice candidate(s). Are they faithful in their
walk with God? Do they have adequate time to devote to their training? Are they teachable? Do
they practice whole-hearted worship? Being a leader of people is no easy task. It takes an
individual of high character to attempt to lead and a higher walk with God to achieve the goals of
11 Palmer Becker, Called to Care: A Training Manual for Small Group Leaders, (Scottdale, Pa: Herald Press, 1993),
96.
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a small group leader. Rod Dempsey advises the small group leader/mentor to be prepared to
provide answers to the apprentice’s questions as well. Examples are, “’ Basics questions like,
‘why should I lead a group’ and ‘what is a small group leader’ and ‘how do I lead a small group
discussion’ or ‘how do I handle a challenging group member?’”12 These questions should be
answered before the new small group leader takes on the challenging tasks of leading a small
group.
The next step in developing group leaders is to assign them some tasks to perform as part
of the group they currently serve in. These tasks could include leading the devotion, conducting
the ice breaker portion of the meeting, leading and guiding the prayer time, or presenting the
lesson. These tasks provide the apprentice with opportunities to experience walking in the shoes
of a leader without actually bearing the burden of guarding the souls of the group member.
When the apprentice has reached the time to step out to lead their own group, the mentor
or trainer should maintain communication with them to provide encouragement, help with any
issues, and prayer for their success.
How to Lead a Group
Now that the apprentice has progressed to small group leadership, they may wonder how
do they lead a group. Even though training has occurred, the new leader may feel inadequate or
unequipped when they actually experience the weight of leadership. There are many human
internal forces at work that may either fuel the fire of leadership or quench it all together. This is
also true of each member of the group. “Awareness of the internal and external forces affecting
any group-including a church small group-is important in order for the leader to act in a way to
help accomplish the goal of the group.”13 This is why getting to know one another is so
12 Rod Dempsey, “Transitioning to Small Groups,” Disciple Making Blog, June 26, 2012, accessed June 20, 2019,
https://disciplemakingblog.wordpress.com/2012/06/26/transitioning-to-small-groups-2/
13 Mark A. Lamport and Mary Rynsburger, "All the Rage: How Small Groups are really Educating Christian Adults
Part 2: Augmenting Small Group Ministry Practice-Developing Small Group Leadership Skills through Insights
8
important. Every human being fights the battle of flesh versus spirit. The Apostle, Paul, was very
aware of this battle and wrote to the church at Rome, proclaiming;
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I
delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war
with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God
through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but
with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin (Rom 6:21-25).
The icebreakers listed in most small group manuals and on small group training websites
work very well to break down the walls that people erect between themselves and strangers or
with people they do not trust. Group members will get caught up in the fun of the game and let
down their guard. This builds trust and leads group members to understand that God created all
human beings exactly the same; with the same fears, weaknesses, and strengths. Although the
degree of human characteristics may vary slightly, they are essentially the same in all people.
So what does a leader do? Joel Comiskey sums it up nicely, as he writes, “teach the home
group members to be transparent—being willing to go to each other, rather than gossiping. Teach
them to welcome those who are different—racially, economically, socially, and at different levels
spiritually. Families welcome diversity”14 The leader’s job is to teach the other group members to
be leaders, to become disciple-making disciples; just as Jesus’ ministry demonstrates throughout
the Gospels. The leader prays with, and for the other members. They promote a lifestyle of
worship among the group by example. They set goals and lovingly push the members toward the
completion of the goals. They help others develop their God-given spiritual gifts and talents and
they encourage multiplication through the working of addition and training. The leader is also
from Cognate Theoretical Disciplines," Christian Education Journal 5, no. 2 (Fall, 2008): 391-414,
http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/205412440?
accountid=12085, 392.
14 Joel Comiskey, Biblical Foundations, 169.
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responsible for the curriculum used for the group’s edification, which includes preparation of the
lesson and leading the discussion.
How to Grow Small Groups
All purposes for God must begin with prayer and continue with daily devotional prayer.
Growing a group is not excluded from this premise. A private, intimate relationship with God
will add fuel to the fire amidst the group that prays together. Corporate prayer that touches
heaven is accomplished first through private, personal prayer. The prayer to grow the group
includes praying for God to bring others outside the group into the path of a group member,
praying for the “empty chair,”15 and praying for the group. Group members should keep an eye
out for new people that attend regular church services and invite them to their group meetings.
Inviting people that do not attend church is a great way to gently introduce them into the
fellowship of God. Most people that will not set foot in a church will more than likely attend a
barbeque at a group member’s home or a dinner at a restaurant with the group.
Growing the group depends on the group member’s desire to please God and to live in
obedience to God. The work of growing a group is not left to the leader(s) alone but is the
responsibility of every member of the group. God will provide opportunities if the members will
pray and seek His will. The most important detail group members should focus on to grow the
group is to practice love. A warm welcome goes a long way to break down the walls that divide
the member and non-member. Making them feel like they are already a member of the group
accomplishes this task. This can only occur through the love of God, the same love that
compelled Christ to the cross. “As the group studies the Scriptures and discusses the application
of Jesus' love and ultimately the gospel, the group member's response could be clearer
15 Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey, Leading Healthy Small Groups,156.
10
comprehension or perhaps higher order learning about Jesus' love. The ultimate demonstration of
understanding of Jesus' love is responding to and walking with him for all of life, serving others
as he did and the Spirit leads.” 16Accepting people as they are, honoring them with trust and
fellowship, and encouraging all, whether it is singularly or as a group, will demonstrate the love
of Christ. The Holy Spirit will do the rest. God does not aks His servants to do His work, only
theirs.
How to Multiply Small Groups
Multiplication begins as does any other undertaking for God; with prayer. Group
members should pray for growth and for ways in which to reach outside the group that brings
honor and glory to God. The leader should set goals and communicate these goals to the group
members with biblical principles to support their aspirations for the group. It is also very
important to have an apprentice that is already equipped to take on the role of a small group
leader. When the growth occurs and it is time for a new small group to sprout forth from the
original source group, an apprentice should be ready to step into place as leader of the new
group. If the original leader chooses to step out to lead the newly formed group, the apprentice
may remain as leader of the source group. The new group should occur when the original group
has increased membership to between fourteen to sixteen. The group should decide on a time
frame for the development of the new group, which provides the drive to complete the mission in
a timely manner. The group leader should also prepare the group for the splitting off of some
members, as most people do not accept change easily. Losing people, whose company has
become a place of comfort and refuge, is difficult and emotionally straining for many people.
The leader should mention the formation of the new group for a month or for a few weeks to
16 Joshua Rose, "Equipping Members for Ministry Through Small Groups," Christian Education Journal 14, no. 2
(Fall, 2017): 361-75, accessed June21, 2019, http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-
com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1960978437?accountid=12085,
11
allow for the members to grow comfortable with the idea. Arnold furthers, “Encourage them to
celebrate the past and embrace the future. Develop with them some termination activities,
perhaps including a one-time celebration or a series of several gatherings.”17
How to Develop/Transition to Small Groups in Your Church
It has been said that it takes two to three years to completely implement a change in a
church. There are many books, articles, and websites on this subject. Some are very helpful,
while others are confusing. Just as some pastors use academic language in their sermons that
confound even the aged, some people write to impress and not to express what God has given
them. Earley and Dempsey have written several items, books, and even blogs that are written in
plain, easy-to-understand language. This student appreciates their effort to communicate what
God has given to them in a way that even an unlearned individual can use to improve their
knowledge of God and His Word, mission, love, and grace. One of these well-written pieces of
knowledge is found in their book, Leading Healthy, Growing, Multiplying Small Groups. They
explain the transition of a traditional church to an organic church or a church that “is” small
groups. They use an acrostic, which is “S.M.A.L.L. G.R.O.U.P.S,”18 to list seven suggestions for
a healthy transition in one’s church. These eleven suggestions include, “(1) Seek God’s direction
from His Word, (2) Make sure the senior pastor is in the lead position, (3) Adopt a model that fits
who you are and where you are, (4) Leadership Training, (5) Launch the new groups, (6) Grow
the groups in quality and quantity, (7) Retrain the leaders to retain the leaders, (8) Over-
communicate, (9) Utilize a coaching structure, (10) Pray, and (11) See God’s blessing. They
explain every step using the same no-nonsense language and this student loves it. A church
cannot use what they do not understand. Follow these steps and follow God’s direction and the
17 Jeffrey Arnold, Big Book on Small Groups, 213.
18 Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey, Leading Healthy Small Groups, 182.
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church will accomplish their goal. Earley and Dempsey’s ideas are biblically sound and
spiritually enlightening, and anyone can make the transition to a church that models the ministry
of Jesus and the first-century church of fellowship, love, and care. Bringing glory to God through
disciple-making is at the root of this transition and this student’s church is on the move to an
obedient walk into the organic church model.
13
Bibliography
Arnold, Jeffrey. The Big Book on Small Groups. Downers Grove: IVP Press, 2004.
Becker, Palmer. Called to Care: A Training Manual for Small Group Leaders. Scottdale, Pa:
Herald Press, 1993.
Comiskey, Joel. Biblical Foundations for the Cell-Based Church: New Testament Insights for the
21st Century Church. Peabody: CCS Publishing, 2012.
Dempsey, Rod. “Transitioning to Small Groups.” Disciple Making Blog. June 26, 2012.
Accessed June 20, 2019.
https://disciplemakingblog.wordpress.com/2012/06/26/transitioning-to-small-groups-2/
Earley, Dave, and Rod Dempsey. Leading Healthy, Growing, Multiplying Small Groups.
Lynchburg: Liberty Press, 2015.
Hoffman, August John. "Millennials, Technology and Perceived Relevance of Community
Service Organizations: Is Social Media Replacing Community Service Activities?" The
Urban Review 49, no. 1. (03, 2017): 140-52. Accessed June 20, 2019.
http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-
com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1867932796?accountid=12085.
House, Brad. Community: Taking Your Small Group off Life Support. Wheaton: Crossway, 2011.
Lamport, Mark A. and Mary Rynsburger. "All the Rage: How Small Groups are really Educating
Christian Adults Part 2: Augmenting Small Group Ministry Practice-Developing Small
Group Leadership Skills through Insights from Cognate Theoretical Disciplines."
Christian Education Journal 5, no. 2 (Fall, 2008): 391-414,
http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-
com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/205412440?accountid=12085.
Lea, Thomas D., and David Alan Black. The New Testament: Its Background and Message.
Nashville: B&H Publishing, Group, 2002.
Rose, Joshua. "Equipping Members for Ministry Through Small Groups." Christian Education
Journal 14, no. 2 (Fall, 2017): 361-75. Accessed June 21, 2019.
http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-
com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1960978437?accountid=12085.
14
