LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
Analysis Paper I
Submitted to Dr. Rod Dempsey, in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the completion of the course
DSMN 630-B03
Small Group Ministries
by
Steven J. Newton L22785387
February 12, 2016
Introduction
“The heart cry of every human is an overwhelming need for community.”1 The truth of
these words are reflected in every society and culture on the face of the planet. All over people
are desperately desire to connect with other human being. But, why is that? What in Man makes
him desire that community with other humans? Comiskey would argue that it is the fact that we
were made in the very image of God. This would include God’s desire for community. This
desire is made evident in the manifestation of God as God the Father, God the Son, and God the
Holy Spirit also known as the Trinity. Comiskey writes, “The Trinity dwells in perfect unity and
community. God is not a lone individualist, and this fact should stir God’s people away from
rugged individualism to community-oriented living.” 2 The center of God’s Trinitarian
community is His love. God has manifested Himself in the Trinity from Eternity because as
Augustine observed if God is love than God must have always had some way to manifest this
love. Love must have a lover, the beloved, and the spirit of love between the lover and the
beloved.3 This realization led Tim Keller to determine “If you have a God who is tri-personal and
therefore in a loving community of relationships from the beginning, then love is at the
foundation of everything.”4 If love is the foundation for everything, and specifically in this case
the foundation for the Trinitarian community God manifests within Himself, then it should be
reasoned that the community that humans are created to desire should also be centered around
1 Rod Dempsey and Dave Earley, Leading Healthy, Growing, Multiplying Small Groups, (Lynchburg, VA: Liberty
Press, 2015), 8.
2 Joel Comiskey, Biblical Foundations for The Cell-Based Church: New Testament Insights for the 21st Century
(Moreno Valley, CA: CCS Publishing, 2012), 43.
3 Ibid., 43.
4 Ibid., 43.
love. Small groups are meant to be the reflection of the community found within the nature of the
Trinity. It is believer’s uniting together as God’s beloved, returning that love to the Lover
through growing in relationship with Him, and loving one another as He loves us. There are five
passages which are primary to small group ministry, as given by Dr. Dempsey in a lecture
entitled Biblical Foundations5, that will be expounded upon in this paper. These are the Great
Commandment, the Great Commission, the Great Example, the Great Illustration, and the Great
Plan. Within each of these passage several principles will be discussed that are applicable within
the lives of those involved with each small group ministry. Lastly, there will be an analysis of the
current church structure and small group structure at Calvary Baptist Church where this author
attends.
Primary Passages and Principles
The Great Commandment: Matthew 22:33-40
Jesus was asked a question by a person in the multitude, identified as an expert in the
law.6 He wanted to know what was the greatest commandment. Jesus replied, “Love the Lord
your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and
most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”7 Jesus
explained that contained within these two simple commandments were all 619 rabbinical laws
that the Jewish people were required to follow. 8 Mankind is to love God with all that they have
5 Dr. Rod Dempsey, Biblical Foundations. http://learn.liberty.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?
tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=/webapps/blackboard/execute/courseMain?course_id=_85860_1 (Accessed February
7, 2016).
6 Matt. 22:35 HCSB.
7 Matt. 22:37-39 HCSB.
8 Dempsey, Biblical Foundations.
and that manifests itself in daily Bible study, prayer, worship, and the Christian lifestyle. If the
believer truly observes the first commandment the second flows out as a result. If people love
God with all they have they will love those around us. This love manifests itself in how His
people serve and look out for others. The small group is to be a community that loves God so
much that they are devoted to serving, worshipping, and growing in relationship with Him. If
they do that they will love and seek to serve each other as a community living out the first
commandment together.
The Great Commission: Matthew 28:16-20
The Great Commission is and should be the mission of all believers. Jesus commanded
His followers to make disciples of all nations and this command should be reflected by Christian
Communities including the small group. Jesus explained how this would work as He sent out His
disciples in pairs in Luke 10:1-10. They were to go out into the villages and to search of a “son
of peace.”9 John MacArthur comments, “They were to seek out a house where there was an
interest in the message of peace with God that Messiah, the ‘Prince of Peace’ would bring.”10
Once they found such a man they were to remain in the house. As Comiskey explains this was “a
key part of Christ’s strategy” 11 for outreach. By living with a family they would be able to win
the head of the household and then their family to Christ and then establish a house church in
which to win their neighbors. In essence, Jesus taught his disciples the strategy of small group
evangelism. They disciples would stay long enough to “nurture and establish a faith
community.”12 Then they would leave and start another in another part of the village. But, this
9 Luke 10:6 HCSB.
10 John MacArthur, “Essential Elements for Evangelism.” The John MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Luke
6-10, (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2011): 330-31.
11 Comiskey, 81.
only works if you have leaders capable of leading the group spiritually and a home willing and
wanting to open itself to their community for the sake of reaching the Lost.
The Great Example: Acts 1-2
It is the example given by the early church in the book of Acts that should set the
precedent for the modern church. I believe Dr. Dempsey said it best when he explained that the
disciples still had the instruction of Jesus “still ringing in their ears.”13 This is extremely
important to remember as the modern church looks for how to make their ministry more
effective. The early church was led by the disciples of Christ who were taught first-hand how to
do effective ministry. The small group instruction was presented in the previous section but, it is
in Acts 1-2 that one can see that instruction implemented and the growth experienced by the
church.
In the first two chapters you see the effects of a community of believer’s. 3,000 at
Pentecost were added to the kingdom of God. “And they devoted themselves to the apostle’s
teaching, to the fellowship, to the breading of bread, and to the prayers… Every day they
devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to
house.”14 Here, the early Church exemplifies how the church should operate. The entire body of
Christ would meet together for worship and teaching from the Apostle’s in the temple just like
the modern church meets together for corporate worship. But, the early Church would not stop
there, they would them break into smaller groups and they would eat together and fellowship
together. These small groups would also pray together and serve the community together and to
12 Ibid., 82.
13 Dempsey, Biblical Foundations.
14 Acts 2:42, 46 HCSB.
care for one another. These groups, most importantly, would use these time to share the Gospel
with others. And Acts tells us this resulted in more and more salvation “every day.”15
The Great Illustration: Ephesians 1
In several places in Scripture the church of believers is called the “body of Christ.” In
Ephesians 1 Paul reminds the church in Ephesus of this fact and it is Christ who is the head that
determines and lead the body. While the individuals make up the various parts of the body. Just
as a human body that has many parts that must function together for the good and the health the
rest of the body. And just as the head of any person dictates every action of every part of the
body, Christ as the head of the body of believers dictates their actions. It is up to the individual
members to work together to accomplish the task given to them by the head, that is Christ.
Cooperation and harmony between the members of the body is essential. Paul communicates this
very fact in I Corinthians 12:21. Dr. Earley and Dr. Dempsey expound on this passage, “We are
the body of Christ (Eph. 1:23), and as such every part of the body in important to the proper
functioning of the whole body.”16
The Great Plan: Ephesians 4
In Ephesians 4, we see Paul reveal the Great Plan for the body. This passage reveals the
importance of the small group within the larger body of believers. The small group provides the
individual instruction and care needed to see each member grow into the specific role God
intended for them.
Current Church and Small Group Structure
As I look at the lecture notes provided, I would have to say that the church structure of
Calvary Baptist Church does not fall completely into any one category but instead has elements
15 Acts 2:47 HCSB.
16 Dempsey and Earley, 8.
of several different categories. But, the structure would probably fall mostly within the Single
Elder with deacons structure. Our church definitely utilizes the “invest and invite method” to
evangelism. Our main form of discipleship is Sunday school and Wednesday night Bible study.
These would be considered the curriculum driven classes. The preaching is very good but, it is
largely focused for the believers to equip to do ministry and to encourage growth in their lives. I
would have to agree that Calvary definitely focuses on activities for the growth of the church.
There must always be something going on to get people in the doors. The biggest issue we have
as a church does not come from the leadership but from the congregation.
Although there is a growing number of people within the church who fall into and
support a more Hybrid structure. There is a lot of the member, mainly ones that grew up in the
traditional structure, that hinder the advancement of the church under that structure. That is the
reason our church falls into different categories. They still believe the pastor’s sole job is to tend
to their needs and it has hindered the accomplishment of the God-given vision of the staff.
Our small groups are only found within the youth ministry at Calvary. They would fall
under the “Of” small groups. The senior Pastor is not so much involved but, the Youth Pastor is
very involved. He even leads one of the groups.
Bibliography
Comiskey, Joel. Biblical Foundations for the Cell-Based Church: New Testament
Insights for the 21st Century Church. Moreno Valley, CA: CCS Publishing, 2012.
Dempsey, Rod Liberty University Blackboard.
http://learn.liberty.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?
tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=/webapps/blackboard/execute/courseMain?course_id=_85860_1
(accessed February 7, 2014).
Dempsey, Rod and Earley, Dave. Leading Healthy, Growing, Multiplying Small Groups.
Lynchburg, VA.: Liberty Press, 2015.
MacArthur, John. The John MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Luke 6-10.
Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2011.
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