Community Groups are vital to the health of the local church. Weekend services are the primary public meeting, but small groups form the internal living structure of a congregation. Community Groups are like the ligaments and tendons of the Body of Christ: connecting and holding together the various parts and members.
Without healthy ligaments and tendons, motion and action are impossible. If you've ever torn or pulled a ligament or tendon, you know how the pain of a wounded connection can hinder your life. When the interpersonal relationships within a congregation are not maintained and healthy, the entire body is severely limited in its ability to do what Christ has commissioned us to do and be.
Ligaments, tendons, and other connective tissue are the hidden, unsung heroes of the body. Without them we would literally fall apart. The same is true of the community group ministry in a church. Participating in a Community Group ensures that our spiritual connective tissue is healthy, flexible, strong, and resilient. This in turn enables the church to move forward in fulfilling our great commission and ministering to our community.
Two primary ways this is hindered are avoidance and malformation. Avoidance is when an individual doesn’t participate regularly in a Community Group. Every individual is a vital part of the body that depends upon healthy connection to the rest of the body. 1 Corinthians 12 makes this very clear. It is the unseen and uncelebrated parts that are most vital. When a person doesn’t join or fully participate, they limit the amount they receive and more importantly, the amount they can contribute to the spiritual health of others. This then hinders the whole body by making the church limp, rather than run.
Spiritually malformed groups become ingrown, infected, or stunted, due to any number of factors from remaining too shallow relationally or spiritually, to becoming a “holier than thou” club. Like malformation in our physical body, spiritual malformation must be addressed by applying the proper treatment. Getting the group to do something differently is compared to physical therapy that moves joints and muscles in ways that promote healing. Correction and instruction would be compared to treatment with medicine. In severe cases, surgery might be required, which would be done by restructuring a group or having a group stop meeting and integrating the members into groups that are functioning in healthier ways.
Community Groups are one of the best evangelistic tools of a church if used correctly. They are not intended to be only for those already in the church. The more a person interacts with members of a church BEFORE they attend a public service, the more likely that person is to join and become actively involved. Every group should find ways to make guests feel comfortable and welcome. Every member should regularly seek to invite new people. People think it would be awkward for someone to sit in with a group that discusses their spiritual growth, but when done correctly it is an extremely effective way to introduce people to Christianity. Jesus did this with His disciples. Their first experience was joining with the rest of the Twelve in doing life together with Him. As a group grows, it is intended to reproduce. Every Community Group should have launching, or assisting in launching, a new group as one of its goals.