Place the small groups in proximity with outsider communities-and serve them.

A strength of small groups is their portability and adaptability-they can meet in a variety of locations and take on a variety of ministry tasks. In the church planting context, it makes sense to take advantage of “third places” as well as homes, in order to acclimate core members to the target community and encourage them to rub shoulders with non-Christians. If outsiders become interested in the church plant, a coffee shop or waffle house will likely be a better venue to introduce them to the believing members and make them feel at ease.

Taking this a step further, the leader should look for service opportunities within the community and tackle them as a group-not as a side item on the menu, but as a central part of the church’s identity, even before a public service exists. Working together on service projects (e.g., litter pick-up, food banks, shelters, drug/alcohol recovery) will be instrumental in the small groups taking ownership of their purpose as they generously serve the people they are called to reach.

Statistically, engaging in ministry evangelism is a significant factor in the survival of church plants.[1] On a practical level, it will also keep the groups from becoming ingrown. As Win Arn points out, “Most small groups, in fact, aren’t open to non-Christians…When small groups become the end rather than a means to the end, they distract a church from its disciple-making mission.”[2]

For me, planting near downtown Kansas City, there is an array of involvement options. Lower income areas exist mere blocks from newer, upscale housing. In one context, working at a shelter, boys’ home or mission makes sense. In the new arts district, with its loft neighborhoods, handing out bottled water and picking up trash would fit the bill. One challenge I’ll face is deciding where and how to invest service time. How will serving at a shelter, as opposed to buffing the urban chic areas, help reach my demographic?

________See also Intro, Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3_________

[2] Win Arn, “Small Groups that Grow a Church,” Leadership XV, no. 3 (Summer 1994): 71