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We grow best spiritually in small groups
A society in which these Christlike people live differently in their day-to-day lifestyles at home in the family, at church, and at work in their business life, and they regularly and consistently show God’s kingdom values of righteousness, compassion, love, dignity of labour and hard work, truth of grace, justice and peace and integrity among others. A society in which the people uphold godly biblical sexuality values – men don’t marry men, and women don’t marry women.
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They look on their bodies as “temples of the Holy Spirit” which they keep morally clean. A society in which the people care for the environment, poverty and especially abject poverty is properly addressed; and the people live in increasing dignity and peace. We are not talking about Heaven. We don’t need clean water and good sanitation in Heaven. There, even the streets are paved with gold.
We are talking about a society in which “we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity” (see 1 Tim 2:2). Is this a hope we can keep alive? Or is this a mirage?
Fact is, it requires transformed people to build transformed societies. And that has happened numerous times in Christian history. When the light of Christ shines into darkness, it brings transformation, renewal and fresh hope.
Indeed it is the story of the spiritual formation revolutionary ministry of John Wesley, the Father of Methodism. At the heart of Wesley’s revolutionary movement was a powerful, effective small Group Life, the “Class Meeting” – a small group of about 12 people (similar to Jesus’ group of 12 disciples) who met weekly.
Wesley’s gospel and transformational ministry took place, historically, “in the 18th Century England, which had industrialisation in England and Europe, a widening gap between rich and poor, and undercurrent which in France led to a violent upheaval”.
In England, however a different revolution took place. “It was spiritual, and it was led by John Wesley”. And Wesley’s goal was “to spread scriptural holiness throughout the land”. Michael Henderson, a Research author on John Wesley writes: “The Class-meeting method worked. It proved to be an effective tool for radical personal change and led ultimately to the moral and spiritual transformation of
England, and later America, in helping people to cope with the social and spiritual chaos of the industrial revolution. It helped spare England from the kind of bloody revolution which ravaged other nations on the continent of Europe”. Perhaps, a revolution of true biblical spiritual formation could be the answer to the much-needed social and economic healing, well-being, and growth we want to see in Ghana and Africa and also in Western Countries that have strayed away from sound biblical values and experienced significant social and spiritual chaos in their communities. We need a world-wide revival of true biblical beliefs and behaviours.
We read about Small Group Life in the early Church: “They met constantly to hear the Apostles teach and to share the common life, to break bread, and to pray. A sense of awe was felt by everyone, and many portents and signs were brought about through the apostles. All the believers agreed to hold everything in common: they began to sell their properties and possessions and distribute to everyone according to his need. One and all they kept up their daily attendance at the temple, and, breaking bread in their homes, they shared their meals with unaffected joy, as they praised God and enjoyed the favour of the whole people. And day by day the Lord added many converts to their number.” Acts 2:42-47 REB.
John Wesley based the Class Meeting on the nature and structure of the “Small Group Life” formed in the Early Church, and saw it as an application of the Great Commission to make disciples. (See Matt 28:18-20) – “a focus which had been lost, recovered periodically in the history of the Church and lost again”.
Wesley in using the Small Group Life of Class-Meeting method, succeeded in conserving the fruit of the evangelism and helping converts and members of the Church to grow into Christ-like maturity.
The famous preacher George Whitfield said, “my brother John Wesley acted wisely. The souls that were awakened under his ministry, he joined into the “Class Ministry” and thus preserved the fruit of his labour. This neglected and my people are a rope of sand”.
Indeed, Wesley was convinced that “we have the best chance of living like Christ, within the context of a supportive community of believers. The Small Group life is an essential vehicle for facilitating effective spiritual formation in people. Effective disciple-making and discipleship are not merely about a programme or project. It is about lifestyle and relationships. It is when people want to follow Jesus and when believers are fully committed to becoming like Jesus and join others in a small group life into a “journey of Christ-likeness” in every area of their lives.
The Lord Jesus was on a spiritual journey with a small group of people to transform them and equip them for God’s kingdom service.
We need to recover church life and ministry which is focused on intentional transformation disciple-making and discipleship. The Church in this nation must raise for the Church and Society resilient, matured and maturing Christ-like disciples who will regularly and consistently live lifestyles of godliness and integrity in every area of life. In part two of this article, we will discuss Small Group life and the
Class meeting: size; purpose; key elements; Small Group / Class Leaders; ultimate goal; and expected outcomes.
When we practice biblical Small Group life as in the time of the Apostles and the Early Church, we will appreciate Church renewal and Church Growth and transformation of society.