Our Small Groups Vision (English)

 

1) Training

This training is part of the official process of Multicultural Family Church to form small group leaders; completing it is a requirement to exercise leadership of a group. This material should be presented in approximately 4 hours, either in one unit or in separate sessions. At the end of the training, the apprentice receives a certificate stating that the individual has received the necessary basic theoretical preparation. In addition to this basic theoretical preparation, the trainee must complete a cycle of practical training in his or her small group, under the supervision of his or her group leader, before exercising leadership of a new group. The most efficient thing is that the apprentice ends up being the leader of the group resulting from the multiplication of his original group, where he received his practical training, but this does not prevent him from leading another church group, since everyone must operate under the same principles and structure. There are possible exceptions at the pastor's discretion.

After the apprentice becomes a group leader, he must continue with the group leader equipping agenda offered by the church; This includes monthly “Refocus” meetings, group leader-only meetings of a specific category (Men, Women, ETC), leader retreats, and other equipping efforts as needed. Each group leader must personally seek to improve themselves in the subject through reading select books and materials, attending conferences and training events, ETC. Perhaps the best training will be that which you receive personally and regularly from your leaders in the daily performance of your job, whether as an apprentice or as a group leader.

• This Training is a Very Compact Summary

This training is a very compact summary of much material from select studies of cell or small group work. The content is drawn from various resources, including the 4 training modules offered by Oikos Latino Ministries and various books and manuals by authors such as Joel Cominskey, Ralph Neighbor, Mario Vega, William Beckham, Jim Egly, Roberto Lay, Daphne Kirk, Steve Cordle , among others. It is extremely important that you learn the content of this training well so that you can be efficient in your work in the small groups at Iglesia Familia Multicultural.

2) Cellular Church?

A cell church is one that exists in cells or small groups; That is to say, cells or small groups are the basic structure of the church. Our church is NOT a cell church, but it does embrace the value that this type of church places on small groups.

In a cell church the most important thing is the groups, these do not become just another ministry of the church, but rather the ministry and life of the church. A traditional church has small groups as another ministry, as important as any other ministry it has. In a cell church the groups are what do everything; That is, the groups are assigned to do all the service functions that are necessary on Sundays, such as parking, hospitality, ushering, even singing and basically running the entire service. It is largely for this last reason that we are NOT a cell church but rather a church that simply values groups.

3) A Two-Winged Church

Multicultural Family Church is what Bill (William) Beckham describes as a two-wing church. One wing is small groups (what happens during the week) and the other is corporate (what happens on Sunday); the structure, government and systems that make possible the Sunday meeting and the existence of the organization as such, the church.

a) The Corporate Wing

When we mention the word “corporate” in this context, we are not referring to the corporate status that the organization has before the government, but to the mass or group character and expression, as a body, of the church. There is the idea that a church can exist by meeting only in homes, or in small groups (without meeting all in a temple); Multicultural Family Church is not like that. Small groups are very important and if we do not give them the necessary attention and focus, they will not be effective, but that does not diminish the importance of the corporate wing; the structure, government and systems that make possible the Sunday meeting and the existence of the organization as such, the church. Both wings are equally important!

Since we will be focusing on small group work in this training, let us briefly look at the importance of the other wing, the church at large, including both those who are and those who are not connected to a group. Let us consider the importance of the Sunday meeting and the ministries exercised in it, and other functions of the corporate wing that gives the groups the balance necessary to function with excellence, unity and effectiveness in fulfilling the mission and vision of the church.

• Ministries Serving on Sunday

Throughout church history the corporate meeting (“the first day of the week”) has been a time of great edification and joy. Two vital functions that are undoubtedly a very important part of the Sunday experience are 1- biblical preaching and teaching and 2- corporate praise and worship. While both of these functions can occur in a small group meeting, they are not the focus of a small group meeting nor would this meeting be the environment in which worship and teaching are best experienced.

• Biblical Teaching

Solid biblical teaching is basic in the life of any church, and in ours we receive it corporately on Sunday. Another level of teaching is delivered at the Bible school, the Christian Education Center, which is also important and is run by the corporate wing, not the groups. The groups do not have teaching as their primary task, but rather the practical application of teaching that is administered and delivered corporately. For there to be good teaching, the pastor or preacher, as well as the teachers, have to be trained, and this is administered and delivered in the corporate wing, not in the groups.

• Music and Corporate Worship

Another function that can never be experienced the same in a small group as in the Sunday meeting is praise. It is true that in a group meeting you can sing, but almost never the experience is as rich as in the Sunday meeting where we all join in worship, there is music, preparation, amplified sound, a stage, ETC. Although singing is not the only expression of worship, it is a very important one, especially when we experience it corporately, it is always a unique experience, where we experience both connections, with God and with our brothers and sisters at the same time. That's important too! To make this possible, the ministry of praise requires preparing spiritually and musically, it requires leadership, talent, character, rehearsals, ETC; this is managed and delivered in the corporate wing, not in the groups.

• Logistics and Production Services

Generally speaking, the two functions already mentioned are actually the center of the Sunday meeting. The other functions exist to facilitate good teaching, to spread it, to be able to have the best possible worship experience together, and to make the overall experience one that is edifying for all; children, young people and adults. To achieve this, trained teams are needed that can handle parking, greeting, security, sound, lights and projection, media such as photos and video, financial management, plus other services that make the Sunday experience possible and are therefore important; this is managed and delivered in the corporate wing, not in the groups.

• Evangelism in the Sunday Meeting

Evangelism is one of the functions that is accomplished differently in a group than in the corporate meeting on Sunday. There are people who are easier to reach through relationships and that is why they are better reached in groups, but there are others who are easier to reach through the Sunday meeting; We must evangelize in both environments. Since there must be unconverted people in a Sunday meeting, it is imperative to evangelize them. Evangelizing should not only be one of the objectives of the sermon, but the complete experience of the Sunday celebration. There are many barriers that keep unbelievers outside the doors of a temple, we must remove these barriers, without violating our principles, to make it possible for the Sunday experience to be one that makes the non-believer feel welcome. To achieve this we must simply welcome them from the parking lot until they hear the sermon, we must give them true love, smile at them, use a language they understand; be aware that they are not yet Christians, much less mature Christians. We must create a synergy of evangelism in our Sunday meetings, and let it become the culture of the church; this is managed and delivered in the corporate wing, not in the groups.

• The Corporate Wing as an Administrative Entity

One of the functions of the corporate wing is the training, equipping, supervision and administration of the groups. Small groups cannot exist on their own. For successful small groups to exist, they must be planned by the corporate wing and all training, equipment, supervision and administration is delivered by the corporate wing. As a result of the relationships and dynamics that arise from the small groups, there will be a need for intervention from other ecclesiastical ministries not produced by the groups; such as finance, counseling, benevolence, community outreach, ETC; These interventions are managed and delivered in the corporate wing.

• Para-church and Community Outreach Ministries

There are some ministries that do not operate during the Sunday meeting and do not have a direct relationship with a small group; that can be very useful in any local church. These may be counseling ministries or other types of church attendance. This category also includes radio and television ministries, hospital visits, community outreach, among others. If there is any ministry in which the believer needs to have time during normal working hours, have some special license or permit, or have some specific capacity or skill, then such ministry cannot be given as a task to a small group, services are needed that are managed and delivered by the corporate wing.

b) The Groups Wing

• The Value of Groups in Relation to the Methods Used by God in the History of Human Redemption

1.1 The Past. Institution Period.

God made a covenant with Abraham and promised him that a great nation would come from him, and that from his seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed. When a family (small group) multiplies, a nation would be formed. This nation had to make known the greatness of the God who chose it. Israel operated in the promised land as it was promised to Abraham. God's relationship with his people was basically governed by laws and commandments, within these the well-known 10 commandments. There was a place where God lived and the people gathered, it was the tabernacle and it represented the mobile presence of God. For a certain time God spoke to the people about him through judges and prophets.

Then there was another place where God dwelt, it was the temple where God was fixed during the times of David and Solomon. During these times the tribe of Levy and Aaron were established as priests, ministers specially consecrated and separated to exercise ministerial functions on behalf of the people. In God's relationship with the people there were rites, liturgy, sacrifices, laws, etc., very elaborate and rigidly observed. Salvation was demonstrated in complete compliance and obedience of the above-mentioned precepts.

The main characteristic of this period was the institution, including the temple, the priesthood, ritualism, sacrifices and a specific day, the Sabbath.

1.2 Transition. How Jesus did it. The Small Group Movement.

Jesus is the bridge from the old to the new, thus making a transition. In Jesus we see the fulfillment of the old and the introduction of the new; see Matthew 9, the new wine. The period before closes and the time of now begins, of “but I tell you” (Matthew 5:20, 21, 27,31, 33,28, and 43) Jesus is the last of the priests, prophets and sacrifices, see Hebrews chapters 1-10. He entered the most holy place as the greatest and last of the priests, being both minister and sacrifice, see Hebrews 9:11-12. The veil of the temple is torn from top to bottom to give access to all believers (now priests) of the New Covenant.

Although he loves and is jealous of the Father's house-the temple, Jesus identifies more with the synagogue, it is there where laymen like him can read and interpret the Scriptures. The synagogue is more compatible with the new strategy adopted by Jesus, a small group, of intimate communion through relationships nurtured in love. Jesus begins his mission by choosing his prototype group that would be the basis of the movement he initiated. The community of Jesus with the twelve constituted the model cell or small group for subsequent Christian communities, looking at them from our point of view, small groups. These small groups would be responsible for the rescue of the human race and the implementation of the kingdom of God in the world; these would be light, agile and ferocious war machines. The gathering of the groups (the churches) of a city formed the city church (Ekklesia).

Jesus didn't start with 5,000; He could, but he knew that the secret to his success would not be in the masses, but in a grassroots movement. This period is then characterized by movement. The great advantage is the indisputable ability to penetrate enemy lines due to the characteristics of agility, ferocity and the involvement of each member in the ministry, the royal priesthood of each believer. Read 1 Peter 2:9. This small group, a product of the movement started by Jesus, is the opposite of the institutional pachyderm of Judaism (the old wineskins). After the destruction of the second temple, the church was dispersed (diaspora) so as not to cling to one place, so as not to be limited or centralized geographically in Jerusalem. For more or less three centuries this movement was so efficient in fulfilling its mission that it brought the great Roman Empire to its feet.

1.3 The Return of Groups to Cathedrals.

Constantine brings together the leaders of the movement that until now was very efficient despite the persecutions and offers them sustenance, protection, power, etc... in exchange for supporting his government. The official marriage of the church with the state takes place here and the devil was the officiating minister imparting his blessing. Here the living church dies, the living organism, and the dead church is born, as another organization, a dead and lifeless organization. Jesus tore the veil of the temple, but Constantine darned it again. So we went back to the old, to the temple, to the priesthood, ritualism, sacrifice (the Eucharist), One day (Sunday) and one place, the temple, the great cathedrals and buildings used by the church. The institution is back and the movement is dying. The church is then transformed into a monument. God goes from dwelling in each believer to a room made by human hands, back to the temple. The universal priesthood of each believer is totally lost. Power is centralized alternately in Rome and Constantinople and, finally, definitively in Rome, the papacy.

1.4 The Need for a New Transition to Valuing Groups.

In various ways, what today characterizes the evangelical Protestant or Christian church in general is the product of a mixture of what I call the church of Constantine with the Church of Jesus. Much of what we do does not come from Jesus, the apostles or the New Testament. We need a transition.

Perhaps we can better understand the transition from a traditional church to one that values small groups, like a change of direction on a train:

The old way is a program-based church, a traditional church; This is the old address. The new way is a church like the one Jesus founded, which sees the value of small groups; This is the new address. To leave the old track and get to the new track, the train needs a detour and this is the transition. The more opposition there is to the direction of the new road, the longer the detour or transition. Someone has to drag the train to the detour. God, in his time will do this; Pull the lever for a change of course.

  The locomotive, which is the shepherd, enters the detour or transition first and the others follow little by little. The speed of the train or programs needs to decrease before entering the detour to avoid derailing. At the beginning of the transition the locomotive with some cars will be on the detour or transition and the rest of the train will be on the old track. Later, it is the locomotive that enters the new track first, followed by the cars and still at low speed, that is the prototype small group. Now we have part of the train on the new track, part of the train on the detour or transition and part of the train on the old track, still at reduced speed. Only when the last car is off the turnout and on the new track will the transition be completed. Now the driver, the shepherd, can accelerate the train again until it reaches normal speed.

As a pastor I have this vision very clear, but I believe I have failed to communicate and share the vision efficiently. My hope is that, by writing it, it can be understood. I believe that a transition in the mentality or ministerial philosophy of our leaders is necessary in order to together be able to move the groups forward efficiently. I can and want to lead, but the transition or change of mentality is necessary so that leaders can follow me, to be able to move forward, instead of actively or passively resisting through indifference.

4) New Testament House Church References (Small Groups)

• Jason's house in Thessalonica was used for that purpose (acts 17:5)
• The house of Titius Justus, which was strategically next to the synagogue with which Paul had broken off relations, was in Corinth and was a meeting place (Acts 18:7)
• Philip's house in Caesarea appears to have been a place where sea travelers stopped to stay. Paul and his companions were there, as well as Agabus and other charismatic pilgrims (Acts 21:8)
• Lydia's house in Philippi was both a meeting place and a place of lodging for Paul (Acts 16:40)
• Aquila and Priscilla appear to have had a church in their home in both Corinth and Rome and perhaps Ephesus (Romans 16:3-5; Acts 18:3)
• The Philippian jailer's house was used as an evangelistic center after his conversion (Acts 16)
• Stephanas' entire family was baptized by Paul himself and, apparently, his house was used to serve believers (1 Corinthians 1:16; 16:15)
• The room on the second floor of a house belonging to John Mark's mother in Jerusalem was the first place where the church met (Acts 12:12)
• Philemon's house was also cited as a meeting place among Christians (Philemon 1-2)

5) What is a Small Group?

A small group is a group of 3 to 8 people who intentionally meet frequently, in a specific location (preferably a home), for the purpose of fostering community life, evangelism, training leaders, practicing mutual responsibility, and discipling others, new believers.

Each group can have up to 8 people who attend regularly, once this number is passed, then the group is multiplied and a new group is formed.

a) What is NOT a Small group?

• It is not a Mini-cult.

The same thing is not done, but on a smaller scale, as in a Sunday celebration when the entire church gathers. The dynamics and purpose are different.

• It is not a Prayer Meeting.

Although prayer is very important, praying is not all that is done. The small group meeting makes it easier to pray for each other and is the best environment for this, unlike the corporate meeting, but it is not the only thing that is done.

• It is not a Bible Study.

Although we talk about The Bible, it is not a study where there is a teacher and students, but everyone participates. During the small group meeting the person in charge is only a moderator and it is the Holy Spirit who builds through the people and in the way He wants. Edification (through the “biblical theme”) is one of the stages of the small group meeting, but it is not a “study” nor the only thing that is done in the meeting.

• It is not a Social Club or a Simple Support Group.

We don't meet just to socialize. Christ is the center of the meeting, nothing and no one else is. No human agendas or desires are followed, but rather Christ reveals his presence, power and purpose in the meeting.

• It's Not Just A Meeting.

The meeting is necessary and fundamental in the structure of the group, but what happens after it, between the leader and all the members of the group, will be decisive in its life. A group is the most basic form of church. A group is a church.

b) Exceptions

In our church there are group experiences, and these officially established, necessary, intentional, correctly functioning, which although they are group experiences – and that is why we recognize them as groups – are not part of this vision of groups. There is no need to change the dynamics of those groups, I simply want to clarify the differences. These groups function more like classes or courses that are better taught in a group, social and participatory environment than in a formal class like those offered by the Christian Education Center of our church; and that is why we continue to call them groups, because they are (Examples: “Happy Marriages”; “Help for Suffering Parents” – which can be adapted a little to the vision…) but still, they end up being exceptions. Again, there is no need to force this view on those groups; They have their purpose and work fine as is.

6) What is done in a Small Group?

In our church, each small group has the same structure, dynamics and the same focus, although given the diversity of people, each group takes on a unique form or identity; is different.

What we do in the group chronologically can change, it does not always have the same order, but it generally consists of four fundamental things that we remember (just to facilitate memorization) as the 4 E's: 1-Encounter, 2- Exaltation, 3-Edification and 4-Evangelism.

1) Meeting:

Meeting between the people of the group. We just intentionally share about our daily lives and get to know each other and connect. In addition to identifying with each other and seeing that we are all normal people, with similar challenges and lifestyles; This meeting allows us to know how to pray (or put into practice everything that the New Testament tells us to do for each other), outside of the group meeting, in daily life. Frequently the leader/moderator asks questions or games for this purpose, to connect us.

2) Exaltation:

This is the time that makes the difference between a small group and a social club. At this time we exalt Christ as the center of the meeting, and ask Him to reveal His presence, power, and purpose in the group. This can be done through prayer, chanting, or another form of exaltation.

3) Building:

This is the stage in which we share THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION of a biblical passage, which is done in a planned and intentional way; open and participatory, in which there is a conversation and not a monologue. It is not just another sermon, but a time in which we share, edifying ourselves (not discussing doctrine or criticizing anything or anyone) but facilitating Christ to reveal Himself in His body (the group, a body “well-coordinated and united among themselves at all times). who help each other, according to the activity of each member, receive their growth to build themselves up in love" Ephesians 4:16. At this time we follow the direction of the Holy Spirit and allow Him to be the one who builds. It is important not to allow the conversation is diverted by a human agenda, by a carnal motivation, that does not edify.

4) Evangelism:

This stage is crucial for multiplication and discipleship. It is not necessarily about evangelizing at that moment (which could be done if there were some unsaved people in the group meeting). It is about always setting aside time, intentionally, to review as a group what has been done, is being done or can be done to reach a non-believer. This is a time to be accountable, practice feedback, plan and execute what is planned until it bears fruit; until someone new is reached.

With these 4 Es we have defined chronological stages (time) of the group meeting. As we do this in each meeting we will be producing disciples and teaching them to make disciples, fulfilling our mission as a church. The encounter facilitates relationships between the disciples, just as Jesus and the apostles did. Exaltation makes clear who we follow and reveals our attitude as learners and imitators, followers of Christ; He is the center! Edification - speaking of the biblical text in a participatory and edifying way - reveals the maturity (or lack thereof) of each member and makes it easier for us to identify areas of growth in which we should invest (it allows the leader to see where edification is needed). ). At the same time each disciple practices his gifts and has the opportunity to bless another. We all have an opportunity to be used by the Holy Spirit and grow in that experience. Evangelism is the time in which we sharpen our vision and mission and do not allow ourselves to continue our Christian life without reaching others, without multiplying; without being accountable for it, without FULFILLING the Great Commission. If you don't put something on the calendar, it will never happen – putting evangelism on the calendar of every group meeting is critical to causing multiplication and enabling everyone to work together in reaching others. It is fundamental in cultivating a culture of multiplication, in making disciples who MAKE disciples.

7) 5 Values of Small Groups

We will use the fingers of the hand to make it easy to remember and memorize these 5 values.

• Thumb - Community Life

Community life, getting to know each other and forming meaningful personal relationships, is something that only happens in small groups and not in the Sunday meeting. Meaningful personal relationships are the environment in which we can put into practice everything the New Testament tells us to do for each other; things such as praying, encouraging each other, carrying each other's burdens, bearing with each other, forgiving each other, etc. Of course, all of these functions can be practiced in the Sunday meeting, but always in a more superficial way than what we experience in a small group. For example, loving each other. Of course, you as a believer love your brothers and sisters in the congregation, but that love is actually superficial if you do not know those brothers and sisters well. Suddenly if you establish a closer relationship with someone, through a small group, the meaning of loving each other is deeper, now you know the person's flaws well and can demonstrate and actually truly love your brother. or sister; This can only be done when you know him well. The same is true for the other vital functions of the Christian life, such as carrying each other's burdens, encouraging one another, forgiving one another, admonishing one another, giving one another an account, etc. The Sunday meeting does not encourage the formation of real and meaningful personal relationships. The church that in its structure only offers large corporate meetings, such as on Sundays; It is not offering its members a structure that allows them to practice and live the teaching of the New Testament. From a certain point of view, a church without groups helps its members to be disobedient.

It is important to make a clarification, the simple fact that a person goes to a small group does not automatically guarantee that that believer will develop a meaningful personal relationship, this is a responsibility of each individual. The structure of the group facilitates the formation of personal relationships, but in the end, these can only result from the individual will of each believer. If a small group is very large, say more than 12 people, and stays that way for a long time, then it will be more difficult for people to open up and get to know each other; It will be more difficult to form meaningful personal relationships in it. This is one reason why small groups should be small and not large.

For a small group to foster community life, it is necessary to intentionally seek this goal and develop the environment and environment for this to occur. This means that the meeting should have intentional times of fellowship, usually by sharing something light to eat, which is very efficient.

Something else that can be done in a group to foster personal relationships is what happens outside of the group meeting, outings, social activities or follow-up and discipleship.

• Index Finger – Evangelism

Evangelism is the fulfillment of the first part of the great commission. Small group work makes it possible for all members of a small group to be directly involved in evangelism whether by inviting one person to the group meeting, to a group social event, praying for those who need to be reached, or many other ways.

Evangelism is fundamental in the life of the group, because in reaching non-believers and then discipling them, you have to invest a lot of prayer, work, love, care, teaching, patience; It is then that the Christ who lives in each believer is manifested. When there is no evangelism in a group, and consequently there are no new people, there is a risk that the group will become a social circle where everyone feels good and comfortable, because they enjoy the love and companionship of the brothers. This is primarily selfish because we are simply not sharing everything we have found in Christ. This is also counterproductive, because over time, without someone new in the group, it is very easy to end up seeing each other's faults and for the group to self-destruct; This is not a philosophical concept invented by us, but the result of several studies that have been done regarding groups that do not evangelize. If there is no evangelism and consequently multiplication, it is a matter of time for the group to dissolve.

One of the things that also happens when there is no evangelism is that the dynamics of group meetings can easily turn into a competition of biblical knowledge, increasingly less practical and more boring, and consequently with the passage of time the group is destroyed. . It is as Jesus said, light was made to illuminate, not to be hidden, and salt was made to salt and when it stops salting, it is no longer useful for anything. This is something we have to think about a lot, the only mission of the church is to evangelize and disciple the souls we evangelize; When we stop doing this, we have lost our purpose, our mission, it is as if we existed for the sake of existing.

• Middle Finger – Leadership

In a church without small groups there are always a limited number of ministries and therefore a limited number of leaders operating. When a new leader is formed (this means that he passes some course of theological studies) that leader usually has to wait a significant time to exercise his leadership since no church changes leaders weekly or even annually. When the time comes for a change of leaders, the candidates for leadership are almost always more than one so there is some competition and in the end there is always one or some who end up not being chosen and, well, wait another time until they can exercise their power. leadership. Do you see something wrong with this system?

Another flaw we find in the production of leaders in a church without groups is that in this type of church, at best, there is a small percentage, (statistically 20%) who do the work and the other 80% they simply become consumers. Clearly this structure does not produce a Christianity where every believer is a minister, where the priesthood of every believer is practiced (or at least offers the structure to facilitate the priesthood of every believer).

If there is something that is fascinating and extraordinary about a church that believes in small groups, it is that the production of leaders is unlimited. The number of small groups a church can have is limitless and so is the number of leaders. In this type of church we will never see the scenario that, there are let's say 10 ministries, and therefore in the next few years there will only be ten leaders. In other words, in a church that believes in small groups the leadership potential is unlimited.

Another great benefit that a church that believes in small groups has in terms of leadership is that if the production of leaders is kept in the right perspective, the number of leaders will be directly proportional to the growth of the church in terms of attendance. That is, we should never have attendance or numerical growth that the church leadership cannot support.

How does it work?

The leader of a small group should always be looking for leadership qualities in the members of his or her group. Every small group leader must eventually have her apprentice, and a multiplication date in which this apprentice becomes the leader of the group resulting from the multiplication. Of course, when a group begins we do not immediately have an apprentice and much less the multiplication date of the group; This is something very flexible and there is no need to apply any pressure to simply have an apprentice, nor multiply the group by a certain date. It is something that should come very naturally and there is no way to stress it out or rush the process; but at the same time it is something very important that the leader cannot lose sight of: an apprentice and a multiplication date.

As we will see later, in our church the growth path for small group leaders is a very simple, practical one and we believe it is also efficient. When the leader of a small group identifies a person with leadership qualities and good character, she begins to recruit him as an apprentice. At least 3 times a year we offer this training that you are receiving, and then give you the apprentice certificate, which means that the person has sufficient basic theoretical knowledge. This is followed by practical training, which is received in the group through the delegation of responsibilities such as leading a group meeting, an event, or following up with one or more people. Both the group leader and her apprentice regularly attend group leader meetings and Refocus, where they become more familiar with the leadership and vision of the church, receive spiritual formation, and receive the work culture of the church.

When the original group finally multiplies, then the apprentice ends up being the leader of the resulting group and copies the process with her group, that is, he will look for another apprentice and a multiplication date for her group.

In addition to the unlimited growth of leaders in a church that values groups, another fascinating thing that exists within the culture of leadership is the role of leaders; i.e. what they do, their job description. In a church that values small groups, the work of the group leader consists of working with people, providing close and personal follow-up, in what is the practice of the gospel; not in producing an event, worship or program. This may sound like something very simple or insignificant, but it is really something powerful because it does not require extraordinary or professional leaders, nor expensive buildings or programs. Small groups can run at basically absolutely no cost and with leadership from ordinary Christians, they don't have to be doctors or have the ability to handle crowds. The leadership culture in a church that values small groups is simply extraordinary and fascinating, all you have to do is work.

• Ring Finger (ring) - Mutual Responsibility or Accountability.

One of the things that a small group environment can provide that a large meeting can never offer is mutual accountability. As we have said before, in the New Testament there are more than 30 commandments that we must do for each other. We are responsible to some extent for the spiritual life of our brothers and sisters. We must pray for, love, endure, encourage, exhort, bear burdens, correct, forgive, (among many others) our brothers. You will not do any of these things in a meaningful and true way if you depend only on a weekly meeting where you see the same people every Sunday, but never have the opportunity to truly know them, much less feel spiritually responsible for them.

Mutual responsibility is very important in the spiritual health of the believer. If you want to know someone's character, you must ask the people who live with him or her, the people to whom he or she reports regularly; They are the ones who truly know him. Within the possible relationships represented in any local church, any relationship within the family reflects true mutual responsibility, whether parent-children or between spouses. The husband is responsible for the wife and vice versa and at the same time they are accountable; The same thing happens with the relationship between children and parents, the parents are responsible for the children and although it is generally the children who are accountable to the parents, in reality the parents are always also accountable to the children. Children will always imitate what they see and not what they are told to do; We parents are accountable to our children. We have used the example of blood family relationships, since these are the ones that best reflect mutual responsibility. In the same way, but on a lower scale, accountability occurs only and only between people who know each other well and are convinced of mutual love, this should and can occur in every small group. Of course, in every relationship there must be healthy limits or barriers that must be established and respected.

How Does Accountability Happen in a Small Group?

Accounting is something that happens, or should happen in every small group and manifests itself in different dimensions, if we can put it that way. A very simple way to be accountable is when we simply open our mouths to give our opinion about whatever topic we are talking about. The mouth speaks from the abundance of the heart, by speaking we realize what is inside us. This is one of the simplest ways accountability happens regularly in small groups. Of course, the group leader must have the discernment to see the person's heart through what he or she speaks, and must have enough love and wisdom to analyze what is in that person's heart; If he needs to improve, approach her privately, with love, to build up. If the person has a lot to give, the leader must allow him to speak or facilitate the person's opinion in the dynamics, as this will edify others.

Another very simple way in which there is accountability in a group is attendance, either at the group meeting or at the Sunday celebration. There are often people who are not connected to a small group and for whatever reason stop attending church meetings on Sundays. Who knows the person who stopped attending? Who knows why he stopped attending? Who has a relationship with him or her enough to approach him or her? If this person was not connected to a group and did not make a significant personal relationship in the church, it is very possible that no one contacted him and the person ended up leaving the church and even criticizing that no one contacted him. Otherwise, if the person stopped attending the service or small group meeting, the group leader and quite possibly everyone else in the group will most likely feel their absence and know the reason why they did not attend. has been coming, have his or her contact information and contact him or her immediately. These simple examples reflect the importance of accountability in its simplest form.

There are many other ways to apply accountability in a small group. We could talk a lot about the confession of sins that is so important; not in the way that Catholics confess to the priest, but when we tell a brother that we know he is mature and loves us, our condition so that he then helps us. A small group favors structure for accountability to one another, something that can never be equally practiced in a large gathering like a Sunday celebration.

• Little Finger - Discipleship: Caring for New Believers

There is no better environment to make disciples than a small group because it provides the opportunity and structure to provide adequate personal follow-up to the new believer and at the same time you do not do it alone because the group is there to assist you. Again, discipleship is the mission of the Church, it is what we should be doing; That's why we are here.

Discipleship is understood as the process of care given to a believer from the moment he is spiritually born until he becomes a leader. Even within leadership there is also discipleship; That was what Jesus did with the 12, what Barnabas did with Paul and what he did with Timothy. The most basic form of discipleship is the attention we give to a new believer, of course this is closely linked to evangelism because if there is no evangelism there are no new believers and consequently no one to disciple. Traditionally we think that we can only disciple new believers, but the reality is that there are many believers, especially in our times, who are not new at all, but are still children, immature and equally in need of spiritual attention and care for spiritual growth. healthy; so today we can disciple believers who have been in the gospel for a long time, but are not yet spiritually mature.

A small group is the ideal environment to disciple someone because you can develop a meaningful and true personal relationship with the disciple. Discipling, at least as Jesus and the apostles did, does not consist of a canned program, a course from which you graduate as a disciple, but rather a close personal relationship with a person in which you take care of their spiritual life. From a certain point of view, in a church without groups, the one who disciples the most is the pastor. And what do other believers do? Aren't they called to disciple? Every believer should be involved in the spiritual care of another believer. A small group makes that relationship possible.

• Christ in the Center

For the presence, power and purpose of Jesus to be evident in a small group it is very important that He be the center, not the group leader or someone else. This means that there should be no other agenda. The dynamics of the group meeting should not revolve around the knowledge, skills or abilities of one person, whether the leader or another member of the group. If there is a person who is always the center of attention, then the leader will have to deal with that person outside of the group meeting and respond to the needs that person has, perhaps low self-esteem, so that the dynamic is edifying. for all. It is important that the group leader be sensitive to the direction of the Holy Spirit and not cling to a specific program or meet a pre-programmed goal, but rather be obedient to what the Holy Spirit wants to do in the meeting, he will always want to glorify Christ.

8) Our Mentors

I have learned the theology and methodology of the groups, first and essentially from The Word of God, especially from the New Testament where we learn the values, doctrine and history of the New Testament church.

The people who have trained us are mostly the pastors of OIKOS Latino Ministries, and figures such as Mario Vega, senior pastor of the Elim Christian Mission, in El Salvador; the largest Hispanic church in the world with more than 150,000 members. Ralph Neighbor, author of several books and comprehensive programs related to cell or group work, one of the most respected and well-known people due to his extensive experience around the world training pastors to work in cell-based churches. William (Bill) Beckham, author of the book “The Second Reformation” and its second revision. Roberto Lay, director of a giant network of churches that value groups, at Breazil. Joel Comiskey, who did his doctorate on this topic and perhaps the author who has documented the most on this subject, who also worked extensively in Ecuador. In addition to these we have also learned from Dr. Jim Egli, Steve Cordle and other authors. This vision of groups were not my platonic ideas (Pastor Alain), I have learned them from people who have studied and practiced them efficiently; all of them are men of integrity, dedicated to teaching and implementing work in cell-based churches (groups).

Note that I have not mentioned the G-12, Cesar Castellanos or others who have developed small group work in an unhealthy, rigid and dictatorial way; They are not an example. I mention the latter because there are values of working with groups that are logically repeated and taught by these movements as well, since they have evidently done something good and that works, but they have damaged it and taken it to a toxic, unhealthy extreme.

9) Small Groups in Multicultural Family Church

Cells or meetings in homes are very popular today, the vast majority of Christians have at least an idea or concept about the matter. Even so, the truth is that the issue is as ignored as the issue of the church is. That is, today we mistakenly refer to the church as a place, so much so that it is difficult to get expressions like “I am going to church” out of our language, even when we know that the church is us, the body or group of authentic Christians, and not a place or building. There is much ignorance about the nature of the church, and equally there is ignorance about cells or small groups. The cellular vision, although it has gained strength in recent years, is as old as the church itself; The first Christians met in homes. Today there are many taboos and misconceptions about meeting in homes, a product of the fact that many have held these meetings without understanding the whys, the theology and the appropriate methodology before meeting; They have done it lightly. Just as life in our natural body begins at the cellular level, so too in the body of Christ, the church. This is not simply an analogy; The life of the church is in the intimacy of the group of believers and in the personal relationships between Christians, which is better achieved in a cellular structure (small groups / in houses / in cells) than in a traditional Sunday meeting in the temple.

It is very true that in our cultural environment it is difficult to work in groups, I admit it; but this is not a valid reason to say that groups do not work. Often the easy solutions are not the efficient ones, but rather less easy ones to change our environment in a positive way. Christianity has always been counter-cultural. It hasn't changed, it still is. Rather, I think we need to question whether we are allowing culture and society to affect the church, rather than being salt and light and us influencing culture and society, exercising leadership, being the head and not the tail.

A small group or cell is not simply a home meeting, nor is it just another small group ministry. A group is a small but complete expression of what a church is, it is a meeting in which Christ is the center and in which we all give up our tastes and interests to foster community life, evangelize, prepare leaders, practice mutual responsibility. or accountability and where discipleship is always taking place. All of this happens simultaneously in a good small group meeting. If these conditions are not met, then we are NOT dealing with a small group according to this view.

We cannot judge a discipline as inefficient because it is poorly exercised. Before saying that something doesn't work, we must question if we understand it, if we have the right motivations and goals, and if we are doing it right. In our church I think we have failed at feedback and supervision more than anything else. All of this has been taught theoretically to everyone who has shown interest in training to open a group, but we have failed to consistently provide appropriate supervision and lead execution. The Timothy Initiative today is planting thousands of churches around the world and doing so effectively using values identical to those that have been part of this small group vision in our church; Their difference has been marked by extraordinary supervision, perfect order, and feedback and accountability systems that make it easy for everything to be done with excellence and efficiency. Of course, they also have millionaire donors and many who are not but believe in their vision and support them, making excellence possible through the dedication of employees who live to make this possible; we do not. Let's pray for that. As I write this I realize that perhaps this vision has not been communicated with the necessary clarity, perhaps many do not understand it; This would obviously be another failure of ours or mine.

In the Multicultural Family Church, small groups are aimed at caring among believers and producing disciples who make disciples, because this was the example of Jesus, our leader in his earthly ministry and this was also the commandment given to the disciples: “Go and make disciples of the nations." As we embrace this goal, we attempt to facilitate each member of our church to participate in community life while fulfilling their role as an integral and important part of the body of Christ. Each and every one of us has gifts and ministries. given by Christ (the head), as the New Testament teaches, which must be exercised for the building up of the body of Christ; otherwise the body would be atrophied and sick. While we do not downplay the importance of the Sunday meeting , this event is not where discipleship or practicing the vital functions of the body of Christ is best achieved (what The Bible commands us to do "for one another"), as the New Testament instructs us. Our small groups facilitate a better environment for each believer to truly connect with others, grow, and share their faith; This is where our family of faith, hope and love, the family of God, is consolidated.

Position of Biblical Teaching in the Vision of Small Groups.

Without a doubt, teaching is a crucial and important part of discipleship and the mission of our church. “Teaching them to observe…” is how Jesus commanded us to make disciples. Sound biblical teaching has always been and will continue to be my first task as a pastor, it is extremely important. There are two ways our church teaches The Bible, in Sunday sermons and academically through the Christian Education Center. These forms of teaching and the small group vision complement each other; They do not compete and do not replace one another. In the groups, believers have the opportunity to APPLY, to live what they learn in both forms of teaching, in sermons and in theological or doctrinal training, whether academically or in any other way. Learning more and more from the Bible is always good! If we do something with what we learn, otherwise it's just more and more information. True transformation and growth in the knowledge of our God occurs when we practice what we have learned. It is clear, we cannot practice what we have not yet learned – we must learn; but it is equally clear that the end is application. There is no reason why one agenda should replace the other; Teaching and practice go together, separating them does not make sense.

Something else to say about teaching, now not so much in direct relation to the groups, but indirectly - is the need to multiply. Everything we do in the church ends up depending on the mission, of making disciples who make disciples; finally multiply. Everything we do must be reproducible, multipliable. I mentioned earlier the ways we teach: in Sunday sermons and academically through the Christian Education Center. If you haven't noticed, I have been very intentional in multiplying as a pastor – forming other pastors and I have also been very intentional in multiplying preachers – the “preaching team”, in that way we multiply this type or form of teaching. At the Christian Education center, opportunities to teach multiply by adding new classes or courses and also new teachers. Multipliable teaching! This helps other believers with teaching abilities and gifts to develop and be useful, have a sense of belonging, and do their part in fulfilling The Great Commission.

The dark chapters of church history are filled with too much knowledge and too little execution, too little obedience, too little relationship. Often believers who have been Christians for a long time falsely quench their thirst for spiritual growth with more knowledge while disobeying the knowledge they already have; This is obviously contradictory and unfruitful. We could only assume that his character is being transformed; But what measurable product do we have of our knowledge? If the internal transformation is real, it will eventually be demonstrated externally in good actions and produce some visible fruit. Let's learn more, to do more! You will know them by their fruits, not by how much they know. This is not a call to ignorance; we all need to learn more; but again the goal is to know more about God through what we learn, not just to know more about Him. When knowledge remains stagnant in the mind of a believer due to excess of knowledge and lack of obedience, multiplication or growth or maturity; Only diabetes and muscle atrophy are achieved spiritually speaking.

10) Group Leaders

Group Leader Election and Training Process

1. Election of the Apprentice (by the group leader)

2. Apprentice Certification (This Theoretical Training)

3. Practical Training of the Trainee (by the group leader)

4. Monthly Refocus Meeting (Pastor + Group leaders + Apprentices)

5. Monthly Meeting of Group Leaders of Each Group Category (Men, Women, Youth, ETC with ministry leader)

6. Training Events (Conferences + Congresses, ETC)

Group Leader Job Description

Her job as group leader consists of:

(Approximately two hours per week, in addition to your weekly or biweekly group meeting)

• Take care of all the people in your group. Attend to your needs as is within your reach; make them feel part of the group whether they constantly attend the group or not. This is our church's official way of caring for its members; there is no other. The pastor and elders will be working to develop a way to care for those who are not connected to a group; but always caring DO NOT encourage them to stay without being part of a group – whatever care system the pastor and elders end up using will never be as efficient as small group care. This is extremely important!

Something else about care; take care of yourself first! If you are not well, you will not be able to lead your group well. Take care of your family! If you need help, seek it. Talk to the pastor.

• Pray daily for the people in your group. Make it part of your personal daily prayer list.

• Lead an effective group meeting. You have to prepare for the meeting and you have to lead it, moderate the conversation and make sure it is participatory and covers everything that needs to happen – the 4 Es.

• While doing the above, you must be intentionally developing a leader (observing, delegating, sharing vision, empowering).

• Make life with your group outside the meeting. (outings, coffees, eating, playing, praying, evangelizing, going to events, ETC)

• Communicate any problems to your leader and/or pastor. It is preferable that this be done proactively, preventing conflicts and situations.

• Enjoy everything you do! And rest when necessary (A season without leading a group)

• Be part of meetings; the monthly meeting with your ministry leader (men, women, youth and couples) and the monthly Refocus meeting.

(For these reasons we want the groups to be no more than 8 constant members. If it reaches 12, you must multiply the group. If the group is larger, it is too much work if done well. Don't burn out, intentionally prepare another leader and give opportunity for others to develop and grow. Let's do ministry in a healthy way!)