Other
than Christ himself, the greatest consistency among successful youth
ministries is a prevalence of small groups. They come in all shapes,
sizes, and names – cell groups, small groups, study groups, Bible
studies, core groups are just a sampling of the more commonly used
nomenclature – but they all have the same basic premise. That is,
by meeting with one another in groups of as small as 3 and as large
as 20, we might know God and His church more deeply.
For many churches, that range of 3-20 is their entire youth population. Having small groups just seems, well... redundant. Besides, isn't that what Youth Group is for?
Yes, Youth Group is a great place to build Christ-like community. However, if you don't connect and build relationships with students in the greater church while they're in school, then why on earth would they come back to the greater church when they graduate from high school? College?
For many churches, that range of 3-20 is their entire youth population. Having small groups just seems, well... redundant. Besides, isn't that what Youth Group is for?
Yes, Youth Group is a great place to build Christ-like community. However, if you don't connect and build relationships with students in the greater church while they're in school, then why on earth would they come back to the greater church when they graduate from high school? College?
Small Groups are Biblical
If you look at Jesus' ministry, it centers
heavily around small groups. Jesus' core group of Peter, John, and
James was a small group. So were the 12 disciples. The early church
met together in their homes, and let's be real, homes can't fit all
that many people together. I'm not advocating for abolishing
large-group meetings, because the early church also met in large
groups- we can read in Acts 2 how they were “devoted to the
apostle's teaching.” But small groups promote something large
groups cannot: relationship.
You hear all the time how Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. Does your church reflect that mentality? Most of the youth I know would not agree, and it is because they are not getting plugged into personal relationships with the rest of the church.
The easiest way to create relationships en-masse is small groups.
You hear all the time how Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. Does your church reflect that mentality? Most of the youth I know would not agree, and it is because they are not getting plugged into personal relationships with the rest of the church.
The easiest way to create relationships en-masse is small groups.
Church-Based Small Group Models
You don't have to
cater to teenagers to target and allow them to grow and flourish in
the greater church body. With that in mind, here's 3 different models
of youth small groups that you can incorporate in your church:
- Youth-only. Teenagers meet together to build relationships and pursue Jesus.
- Youth-student. College kids mentor your teenagers to create stronger ties and teach discipleship like Christ taught it.
- Adult-youth. Mothers, fathers, and people knee-deep in careers meet to disciple teenagers.
Depending on your church's vision, you might consider different models of small groups. You should pray and choose the model that promotes your goals as a church while feeding all of your members and allowing them to mature into independent believers.
Small groups are the perfect place to begin training and raising up a new generation of believers who will stand for what they believe in. Give teenagers responsibilities as appropriate. Allow them to lead. Teach them with love, and allow God to work through them, whether or not they've had training. Don't be afraid to set the bar high, because most teenagers can do more and understand more than you expect. Just remember to be gracious and encouraging if it takes some time for them to reach the bar.
So: how can you incorporate small groups into your church body? How can you incorporate youth into your small groups? Do you use small groups, or another model of discipleship and relationship-building?
- Youth-only. Teenagers meet together to build relationships and pursue Jesus.
- Youth-student. College kids mentor your teenagers to create stronger ties and teach discipleship like Christ taught it.
- Adult-youth. Mothers, fathers, and people knee-deep in careers meet to disciple teenagers.
Depending on your church's vision, you might consider different models of small groups. You should pray and choose the model that promotes your goals as a church while feeding all of your members and allowing them to mature into independent believers.
Small groups are the perfect place to begin training and raising up a new generation of believers who will stand for what they believe in. Give teenagers responsibilities as appropriate. Allow them to lead. Teach them with love, and allow God to work through them, whether or not they've had training. Don't be afraid to set the bar high, because most teenagers can do more and understand more than you expect. Just remember to be gracious and encouraging if it takes some time for them to reach the bar.
So: how can you incorporate small groups into your church body? How can you incorporate youth into your small groups? Do you use small groups, or another model of discipleship and relationship-building?
No comments:
Post a Comment