A Place Where Nobody Stands Alone

A Place Where Nobody Stands Alone. Bill Donahue Russ Robinson
Foreward John Ortberg Zondervan c.2001 pp.219 price 29.95

Introduction. The Willow Creek Story
The church was started in 1975. In 1992 a very deliberate decision was made about becoming a church with small groups. From 1992 the church has gone from a church with small groups to a church of small groups. That change is described in this book.
PART ONE Making The Case For Community
Ch. 1 In The Beginning , God: The Theological Evidence.
Gen. 1:1 "Let us ...in our image" The doctrine of the Trinity presents God in community. Being created in God’s image doesn’t just distinguish us from other created beings, i.e. animals and plants, "we are created for community." p.24. Jesus’ entire ministry modeled community. As Jesus drew away from the crowds he selected a few to reach many. " If ever there was a smoking gun on community, it is John 17" p.29. Jesus wanted a oneness, unity, for his disciples as the Trinity is one.
Ch.2. Created For Community. The Sociological Evidence
The life God has given us has an ingredient that makes us dependent. We are "community defined beings." p.34. Furthermore, God has chosen to be interdependent. It is in small groups that we experience wisdom, strength, accountability and acceptance. These are sociological needs.
Ch. 3. What the Church Needs to Grow. The Organizational Evidence.
There are two principles associated with this topic. One is the concept of span of care. i.e. Everybody is cared for and no one is caring for more than he/she can handle. The other is that we see ourselves as members of one body and we have to function as such. Everyone needs to be cared for and everyone needs to care for someone else.
PART TWO Pursuing Community In Small Groups.
Ch. 4 Small Groups Are Built On Authentic Relationships.
Authentic relationships need to be characterized by what Larry Crabb calls "spiritual community". Transformation happens as " a progression that culminates in genuine love expressed in community". p.59. Authentic community involves the practice of self-disclosure, care giving, humility, truth-telling and affirmation.
Ch. 5 Small Groups Are Places Where Truth Meets Life.
Groups can be truth focused (content driven and question answering) or life focused (experience driven and responding to emotions). Some groups are transformatiom-focused. These three different groups are compared. Questions need to be turned into discussions. Experiences need to lead to decisions. The difference between a group having a common activity or a holy moment has to do with how a group is led. "We must help one another create, sieze, and mark moments that invite the presence, power, and activity of the risen Christ into our lives". p.87.
Ch. 6. Small Groups Experience Healthy Conflict.
Truth needs to be spoken in love. Unconfessed sin and relational breakdown requires conflict resolution. The scriptual approach on c. r. is Matt. 18:15-20. Guidlines are suggested for managing group conflict. Guidlines are also given for navigating breakdown. The goal of conflict resolution is restoration and reconciliation. Love is a non-negotiable ingredient of successful conflict resolution.
Ch. 7. Small Groups Provide Well- Balanced Shepherding.
"All believers are priests", Larry Crabb. Shepherding needs to be taught and learned. It requires a balance between caring and discipling. Caring is best done as a group project in community. Discipling involves intentional modeling and shepherding. Effective caring flows out of maturing and accepted responsibility. It will always involve relationships.
PART THREE Developing Leaders Of Small Groups.
Ch.8. Enlisting Small Group Leaders.
Leaders for small groups are key to the ministry. There is a real difference between motivatig leaders and producing leaders. The essentials of small group leaders are affections, reputation, and expectations. The process of "finding" leaders involves "announcing, envisioning, inviting, and challenging". p.128. Give attention to reluctant leaders. They are often the best. When assessing eager leaders ,motives are more important than skills. The goal for a small group (leader) is to "create a mutually caring environment where people support each other." p.132.
Ch.9. Training Small Group Leaders.
"Training helps us do what we cannot accomplish through sheer effort." John Ortberg. Training happens in a classroom, inan apprenticeship and on the job. Training involves five ingredients, "Set-up, Teach, Demonstrate, Practice< Feesback." p.142.
Ch.10. Coaching and Supporting Leaders.
Span of care is important. Coaches must lead and model, affirm and observe, care and develop small group leaders. A coaching structure is key in this process. Often small group leaders transition into coaching. For successful coaches the most important virtue is love. Coaches support leaders through prayer, events, and systems .
PART FOUR Leading A Church Of Small Groups
Ch.11 Make Decisions
There are five key questions that need to be answered and they require decisions by leadership. Will we become a church of small groups?
Who will be the point leader?
What will be our long-term structure?
How will we develop enough leaders?
From where are we starting?
Ch.12 Choose A Strategy
"When lives and eternities are at stake, strategy matters." p.178. Strategy has to be developed around span of care. Community cannot be hoarded, it needs to be open. Plan around different kinds of groups. e.g. Service groups, seeker groups, etc. "Aligning every ministry under a common small group infrastructure." p.185. Effective leadership is essential to successful strategy. Strategy must be contextualized. The achievement of a goal will not happen without an effective plan.
Ch. 13. Phasing In The Small Group Ministry.
The timing of becoming a church of small groups will be determined by the length and intensity of each phase that is involved. Some phases are; the Model/Turbo group phase, the Pilot Group phase, the Start-Up Group phase, and going public. Each phase will look different in each church setting. In all phases and in the ongoing development of small groups ministry there will be the need to "manage the tension between leader readiness and the community demand." p.204.
Comments hd
I think this book is a very helpful "manual" for church leaders who are serious about becoming a church of small grooups. Although the writers are drawing from the experiences of their own church they are explaining principles that apply to any church. I was impressed with the basic conditions that are described in order for a church to become a church of small groups. The designation "of" is crucial in this discusion.