What does FBCWheaton think about small groups?

SMALL GROUPS (CELLS OF THE BODY) ARE THE MOST APPROPRIATE STRATEGY FOR OBEYING JESUS IN THIS CULTURE AT THIS TIME

EDIFYING BELIEVERS: A CAREFULLY MANAGED NETWORK OF SMALL GROUPS IS THE SYSTEM WHICH MOST EFFECTIVELY ENABLES FBC TO BE THE CHURCH AS THE NEW TESTAMENT CONCEIVES OF CHURCH. BY ORGANIZING OURSELVES AS A WEB OF SMALL GROUPS WE CAN EFFECTIVELY DO THE FUNCTIONS THAT JESUS EXPECTS HIS FAMILY TO DO.

FRIENDSHIP: Cell groups can be environments in which we intentionally facilitate the cultivation of honest, loving, trusting friendships. Biblical texts such as Romans 12 and Eph. 4 see “church” as relationally rich “family” of mutual service, transparency, love and mutual concern (doing the “one anothers”)

LEARNING: Cell groups are potentially ideal environments for deep transformational learning (which leads to change). Our mandate includes”...teaching them to obey everything I have commanded….” This requires a learning environment /process that is sufficiently intensive that it stimulates wholistic transformation of the disciple. Research into situations in which learning takes places recognizes the following requirements:

  • personal involvement with a community of fellow learners (and the “teacher/ facilitator”)
  • a highly interactive environment with abundant opportunity for Q & A and feedback
  • opportunity for participation and real life application
  • accountability for follow through

PASTORAL CARE: Cell groups are potentially contexts in which very effective mutual ministry and pastoral care can take place. Once a church reaches a certain numerical level a senior pastor can no longer be the shepherd of every member during times of crisis need. Growing churches must intentionally create strategies for insuring that every member is personally recognized, attended to, served, and cared for. Cell groups are potentially ideal structures to facilitate such care. In fact, the powerful vision of the New Testament church is that it never envisioned a community in which a single professional pastor/priest would be the sole caregiver/ counselor / healer. Because of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, every believer is enabled to minister grace to another. We must insure that “no member is left behind.”