How to keep your small groups involved in discipleship

by Steve Gladen

Today, all around the world, people will join with other people in homes or restaurants or workplaces to study God’s Word and grow in Christ together in a small group. In many cases, however, the results may be less than what Jesus desires.

Jesus said, “Go into all of the world and make disciples.” But as Dallas Willard’s book, The Great Omission, points out, the Church doesn’t always have a plan for doing that. It’s as if the Great Commission had read, “Go into all of the world and make church members.” That’s certainly a worthy goal, but it stops far short of what our Savior commanded.

Community is belonging together, joining as part of the Body of Christ for the biblical purposes that Jesus charged us with keeping. And since small groups are also chartered with keeping the purposes, how do we turn them into small groups centered around God’s purposes? And as a part of that, how do we ensure they’re growing in discipleship?

Clearly, there are some things to be mindful of.

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