Obstacles to Community

Some have said to me, "Small groups just don't work." Out of context this sounds bad, but the reality is there are good concerns about developing a church centered around realistic small group ministry. For the next few days we will visit some of the concerns and address solutions. Some of these concerns may be your concerns, others will belong to many of the people we encounter as we invite them to attend our Community Groups. It is important to understand and appreciate the objections in order to provide reasonable solutions.

Objection #1 Church is a Sunday Morning Event
For many, going to church, is hearing a preacher preach on Sunday and then running home to eat the pot roast. Many people simply don't see the need for any "more" church than that. For centuries evangelical protestant theologians have said that church is, "a place where the gospel is rightly preached, the sacraments rightly administered, and church discipline correctly exercised." Though this statement is true, it can often be perceived as being something a pastor or church leadership does for the masses. The masses take no ownership of ministry, community, or gospel proclamation themselves. This is what the church does for them, not necessarily what they should do for the world.
The small group driven church conversely places a large emphasis on the priesthood of the believer and emphasizes Christians ministering to one another. "Preparing the laity to do the ministry is a radical, refreshing change," according to Comiskey. Within the small group the development of leadership and equipping takes on much more practical emphasis as people listen, speak, care, and evangelize.

Obstacle #2
The Church is a Building
Buildings are not inherently bad, but it is problematic when buildings are seen as "the" church. When the early church fathers spoke of "the" church, they were referring to groups of believers gathered together in homes. Churches across Asia are growing enormously, without any building.
Simply put, buildings should be thought of as neutral entities. One reason many churches focus so specifically on church services at a building is that people need a place to come and put money in an offering plate. For this reason Comiskey suggests taking up offerings at small group meetings. He says, "If cells can become a source of financial growth, the church will see cell group growth as another source of financial income and have less tendency to ignore cell ministry during times of financial crunch."
Buildings won't win people to Jesus and the good news is that small group ministry is not reliant upon a building. Instead they utilize the collective real estate of homes throughout the city.