Barnabas File

Every church traditionally has some type of small group experience--Sunday School classes, study groups, mission groups, and others.   Today, small group experiences may be more important than ever.   In a recent article, Thom Rainer identified eight major changes in churches over the last decade. One of these was the vital importance of groups in the church. According to Rainer’s research, ten years ago churches had groups but they were of marginal importance.  Leaders “did not see how groups could enhance the health of the church in discipleship, evangelism, prayer, ministry, and fellowship.” On the other hand, he observes, “Healthy churches today make groups (community groups, home groups, Sunday school, life groups, etc.) a high priority.” We can identify several reasons why this is true. First, most people have a desire to connect.  Although we have become a society immersed in social media, most of us have few deep connecti...

Although Paul was not a systemic theologian or a small group facilitator, his writing in   Ephesians 4:11-12 about the way the Spirit works to create a community of believers provides some ideas about what is necessary for a group to grow in spiritual maturity, service, and unity: “ So Christ himself gave   the apostles,   the prophets,   the evangelists,   the pastors and teachers,    to  equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ   may be built up  until  we all reach unity   in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God   and become mature,   attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (NIV) The various leadership roles in the life of the church have one primary purpose:  “to equip his people.”  Those who are leaders of a group invest themselves in others.  They call out the best in the group members and encourage them to stretch their boundarie...

A person does not need a theological degree to pick up the biblical emphasis on community.   In Genesis, we read that God created humanity for fellowship with God and then created the family unit of the man and woman.   God called Abram out of Ur to father a nation of people.   The children of Israel struggled to be a people who supported one another in their devotion to God.   Christ called to himself a group of disciples so that he might share with them and begin forming them as apostles of the faith.   Through the work of the Spirit, the church—a community of the faithful--came into being after Pentecost.   Paul and his team went about the Mediterranean world planting communities of the faithful.   Finally, out of the scriptures, early Christian scholars perceived the doctrine of the Trinity, a mysterious relationship between Creator, Redeemer, and Spirit that has existed through eternity. Therefore, it should come as not surprise that the ...

When we think of the work of the apostle Paul, we tend to focus on him alone. In reality, Paul was surrounded by a team of gifted individuals that was continually changing. We know the names of some of them—Barnabas, Luke, Timothy, John Mark, even Priscilla and Aquila. At various points, different individuals became part of the apostolic team led by Paul. The composition of the group evolved and changed over the years. Very often members came on board, made their contribution to the work of encouraging churches in an area, and then attached themselves to a particular church or churches to continue their work apart from Paul. Some were already mature and gifted persons when they joined the Pauline team, but others were nurtured by the apostle and the group.   The group experience was vital to the development of disciples and the spread of the Gospel. My own experience is that small groups of believers provide an opportunity for individual growth in a number of ways.  Thi...

Teaching Sunday school is always a learning experience for me.  Whether I am the designated teacher or one of the participants, I find it beneficial to hear another’s understanding of the text.  Each of us brings our own life experience and needs to the text.   I am becoming more committed to the idea that the study of Scripture is incomplete unless it takes place in community. Sunday school classes are called various things now, but whatever they are called, they are small groups of people who learn and grow together. Small groups have been important to the life of the church for years, finding expression in various forms--the “holy clubs” of John Wesley, the modern Sunday school movement, home Bible studies, and recovery support groups among other examples.  Even in the age of the megachurch, small groups are an important strategy for growth and discipleship. Scott Thumma and Warren Bird’s study  for Leadership Network of 25,000 megachurch atte...