As far back as 1996 Darrin Kennedy
offered the following caution in regard to small groups: “The church today
should not have small groups simply because the early church had them”[Kennedy,
Darin. (1996, Third Quarter). “A
Theology of Small Groups.” Restoration
Quarterly 38.3: 175-183. He bases this caution on other simplistic attempts
at reproducing the early church in the twentieth and twenty-first century with
the practices of foot-washing, women having their heads covered, etc.
We have to admit that it is not an
easy thing deciding on what congregational life needs to look like in order to
reflect the life of the church in the first century.
The thing I like most about Kennedy’s
caution is that he follows it up with a solid biblical reason to have small
groups that is based on two things: the biblical concept of community, and the
biblical identity of election. This means that small groups are not pursued
because it is the best pragmatic decision to make the church grow. Rather,
small groups are offered as place to experience community and identity. I
cannot think of a stronger case to make for the existence of and offering of
small groups by a congregation for its members!
Small groups perhaps are akin to
small house churches in the first century. Therein perhaps lies a potential
disadvantage that seems to scare people off—being that close-knit means that
too many other people are going to know about my business!
This fear does not come from a heart that is pursuing Jesus.
Fear of being known is a radical, rugged individualistic value that is
diametrically opposed to Christian community. The only way that I can grow
spiritually is to let others know me as I am. After all, the basic stance of
the Christian life is to be known by God (See Galatians 4:9). The natural
outcome of that is to let each of us know one another.
Small groups are perhaps the best
format to implement meaningful “one another” religion. We really do need one
another to live out our life of faith. Paul greets his readers at the end of
his letter to the Colossians by saying, “Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at
Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house” (Colossians 4:15). It seems that the church met from house to house in many
cities of the first century. In this context two things were solidified:
community and identity.
May we all
here at Highland View pursue those opportunities of community and identity
where we seriously live out our Christian calling!
In Christian
love, Curtis
