Recapturing Small Groups
“From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.”Ephesians 4:16
A friend of mine recently had successful hip replacement surgery. They commented that they hadn’t realized how much a compromised hip caused problems in other body parts. When certain ligaments are damaged, other body parts have to pick up the slack, which often causes more problems. In Ephesians 4:16, the Apostle Paul uses ligaments as an analogy for the connectedness of believers in the church. When he does so, he emphasizes that spiritual growth is a function of Christians properly functioning together, like ligaments in the body.
One manifestation of this spiritual connectedness is small group ministry. Perhaps small groups have fallen on hard times in your church. For a while, it seemed as if small groups were reborn every month with a new focus and iteration. How can churches keep up? Tripp and Tyler’s classic sketch “Shoot Christians Say” captured small group fatigue well as they rattled off a list of names for small groups: small group, d-group, cell group, community group, access group, accountability group, Acts 27 group. That list only scratches the surface, and it reflects the variety of purposes for small group gatherings.
While we may laugh, most churches have some form of small group ministry. Rather than despair at the myriad versions of small groups, we can recapture a biblical vision for small group ministry. Paul’s vision of believers connecting like ligaments helps us see small group ministry as one key way we disciple one another. We need clarity on discipleship to make the best use of small groups.
Mark Dever defines discipling as “helping others to follow Jesus” (Discipling, 13). That definition summarizes what Paul describes in Ephesians 4:16. In this verse, Paul presents a picture of the church body as individuals connected to one another, promoting spiritual growth in love as each person is engaged relationally with others. With this picture as our model, we can brainstorm how small groups help us follow Jesus or how they are one way we disciple each other.
1. Small groups foster discipleship through relationships
Paul calls us here to be connected for spiritual edification. This means that small groups aren’t just social but should be focused on fostering spiritual growth and connection. To that end, these relationships require a basic level of commitment and availability. People should commit to their small group, show up, and get to know each other. Small group relationships also demand a measure of confidentiality and thus involve some risk. The first rule of small group is don’t talk about small group. To grow, we will have to disclose personal details about how we are doing and eventually confess sin. Consider using a small group covenant to clarify and emphasize the relational component of small groups. Also, allow the calendar to provide some natural on and off-ramps for people. This will encourage people to engage for a given season and make the most of their time in the group.
2. Small groups facilitate discipling by digging deeper into the gospel
This is not to say small groups are Bible studies or spiritual lectures. By discussing God’s Word, we help others follow Jesus (in contrast to one-way dissemination of information). A book study can be an effective way to stimulate conversation, but be careful the group doesn’t turn into a seminary class.
A group of believers building themselves up in love will do so by talking with each other about the Word of God and how it is changing them.
3. Small groups help us disciple others by providing opportunities to serve one another
In Ephesians 4:16, Paul envisions this spiritual building-up occurring “in love.” A small group is an opportunity for saints to love each other by knowing each other and helping to meet needs. So often in small groups, spiritual struggles are revealed in the context of real-life struggles (e.g., career issues, family trials, financial challenges, physical problems, etc.). Who better to help meet needs than believers who know us well?
Additionally, small groups can be leveraged to meet the needs of others in the church or in our community. For example, when we hear of a need in the community, we often ask a care group in the given neighborhood to step in and serve. This provides two benefits: it meets the need and provides an occasion for relationships within the small group to deepen.
Finally, small groups are one of the best opportunities for believers to support one another in prayer.
In our small groups, we usually break up into men and women and spend time praying for each other. This is one of the sweetest aspects of our meetings, and it allows us to demonstrate our care for each other by bringing our needs to our heavenly Father.
An effective hip replacement will leave the patient with a hip connected by ligaments to the rest of the body, making movement possible.
Likewise, effective small group ministry helps us help others follow Jesus by providing a space for us to foster Christ-centered relationships—promoting the growth of the body.
©2024 Ryan Boys. Used with permission.
About The Author

Ryan Boys
Ryan Boys serves as the lead pastor of Green Pond Bible Chapel in Rockaway, NJ. He is the author of the forthcoming How to Preach Apocalyptic with Fontes Press.