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The Small Group Movement's Desire for More

by Randall Neighbour

I'm seeing something on the small group side of our ministry (vs. the cell church side) that I really like...

Books are being published by small group guys (staff pastors at larger churches and small group gurus like Rick Howerton of NavPress) that are saying some very "cell-like" things about small groups. These include:

• Becoming Christ-centered groups, not just gathering people around a topic or activity of interest, and not just gathering people for 40 days to learn about this or that.

• Relating to the unchurched in relational ways, moving away from the "us-them" mentality of missions/service projects so often found in church life.

• Mentoring and Discipleship are being discussed regularly. No one's doing anything about it yet, but at least it's being talked about, which is good! That's how all the trends (healthy or otherwise) begin.

Please pray hard for the small group movement in America. The rest of the Christian world seems to understand the centrality of Christ and a passion to expose the spiritually blind to the existing kingdom of God. The big-box church in America is just waking up to these things.

Randall Neighbour is the President of TOUCH Outreach Ministries, Inc., a non-profit organization located in Houston, Texas. His threefold ministry focus is to consult, train, and resource churches as they fulfill the Great Commandment and Great Commission through a highly relational holistic small group-based model for church life. Randall is the author of six additional resources for small group members, leaders, coaches, and groups, including the book, The Naked Truth About Small Group Ministry.

More from Randall Neighbour or visit Randall at www.touchusa.org