SMALL GROUP DISCIPLESHIP #2: How Necessary are Small Groups?

Was C.Peter Wagner right or wrong?
I had the privilege of receiving most of my doctoral courses from Dr. Wagner, and I, like many others, have read and consumed his many volumes on church growth.  One very influential book which he wrote was entitled, Your Church Can Grow.  It was originally written in the '70's and then revised in the '80's, and republished in 2001.  It is a GREAT book.  It covers the seven vital signs of church growth.  It has wonderful church growth principles in it.  It was in that book, and probably some of his others in which he talked about the need for a C-C-C church structure.

This is a reference to the three key structures necessary for a healthy church:

• C - Celebration

This is your typical Sunday or weekend worship services where everybody gathers together to worship.

• C - Congregation

This is your mid-sized group; typically a Sunday School class or Adult Bible Fellowship.  Please note that even though he uses the word  "congregation" he is not talking about the church worship service, but a gathering of part of the church.

• C - Cell

This is the small group.

Wagner's contention is that you need all three of these to have a healthy and strong church.  And he is, no doubt, right as usual, for most churches.  (Although I have read some who contend that it is very difficult to find a church which does all three of these well.  For example, when I was serving a major suburban church in Wheaton, IL, they had a very solid ABF ministry.  It was completely a part of their church culture, so much that anytime you met someone new, the second question after asking their name, was "Which ABF are you in?"  But they had a rather weak small group ministry, for a church of 1,000 people.  Even a strong effort to start small groups was met with limited success.  And the reason was that most people's social needs were met through their ABF's, which functioned as mini-congregation's within the church.  Why did they need a small group?  They had their worship, Bible teaching, fellowship, and outreach needs  (all four elements of true Christian community from last week's blog)

But my question about him being right or wrong, is specifically this:  Is that middle C (the 'congregation') absolutely necessary for church growth?  A lot of churches have pretty much focused just on the main worship service and small groups, and have done just fine.  Many of them pursue the 'two-winged' model of church, where Celebration is one wing, and Cell is the other.  And their church is able to fly quite well, thank you.  

So, is there any guidance from Scripture on this?
Well, here is one verse that makes me think:

Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.  (Acts 5:42)

This is a great verse that highlights the balance experienced by the early church between large group life ("in the temple courts"), and small group life ("from house to house").  This clearly points to the Celebration & Cell concept, but doesn't do much for supporting the need for the mid-sized Congregation group life.

Small groups are clearly a powerful tool for people to experience Christian community, as I mentioned in last week's blog, and they are a critical element in church structure.  So is the middle-C, that is, the mid-size Congregation even needed?

But perhaps there are many churches out there who do just fine without small groups?  I'd like to hear about churches that are able to fulfill their mission without small groups.  Maybe they only need the Big C, and the Middle C?  What has worked for you?  

We will continue talking and thinking together about small groups next week as we look at the Old Testament plan for pastoral care.

Until then,
for Christ and His Kingdom,

Dr. Bill