Mission and Goals of the Small Group Ministry
The purpose and character of the small group: "to be a loving caring family that is growing in Christ and sharing God's love with others".
The Mission of the small group at Stony Brook is to provide a small group experience for every adult attendee.
The Goals of each Small Group
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To provide love, care and support for each member of the group.
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Always practice the principle of confidentiality.
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To meet the discipleship needs of the people of your group.
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To reach one new couple or person for Christ each year.
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To insure that each meeting includes meaningful sharing about their own lives and prayer time.
Definition of the Small Group
"A Christian small group is an intentional face-face gathering of 3 to 12 people on a regular time schedule with the common purpose of discovering and growing in Christ".
- Intentional...you make a decision to join a group.
- Face-to-face...90% of all communications is non-verbal (you need to see each other and sit close to each other).
- 3 to 12...when the number gets over 12, the non-verbal
communications decreases. Remember when you have more than seven it is
a good idea to divide into groups of four when the time comes for Bible
Study. This way more people can participate and finish on time.
- Regular Time...in the first few weeks, the meetings should be
weekly. (After the group has bonded, the group is free to lower the
intensity).
- Common Purpose...a clearly defined purpose will keep the group
from floundering. Two questions: 1) Why are we here? 2) What do we
want to do?
- Discovering...seekers are welcome/encouraged to come and see what the Christian life is all about.
- Growing...the group is also a place for "baby Christians" to mature.
Remember these are guidelines in helping us understand what small groups are all about. These are in no way to stop you from being creative as to the needs of your group. The important thing is that we focus in on how we can best serve each other in a group setting.
Small Group Article Here is a great article on small groups. Take a look and let me know what you think.
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