Northpoint Corona Church

What is the Small Group Movement? – A Quote

     The small group movement, whose roots are in both the early church and later church history, became a broad phenomenon in the late twentieth century.  Highly mobile and disconnected people of all ages began to seek deeper fellowship and spiritual nurture in groups.  Key leaders began to emerge: Yonggi Cho, Lyman Coleman, Roberta Hestenes and Dawson Trotman, and newer leaders like Bill Donahue, Carl George and Ralph Neighbour.  The movement was fueled by key parachurch ministry groups, including InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Campus Crusade for Christ and the Navigators.  Christian publishing houses such as InterVarsity Press and Zondervan began to develop small group curriculum and leader guides, as well as many support materials for leaders.  Congregations independent and mainline, ch... Continue reading...

Small Groups in the New Testament – A Quote

     Community is a theme that runs throughout Scripture.  God has always been calling out a people for Himself, beginning with Israel and continuing with the church.  Even when the Jews were dispersed among enemy nations during times of captivity, they organized themselves into groups and ultimately formed synagogues (Jewish communities of worship and teaching), where they could serve one another and carry out their beliefs.  It was natural, therefore, for Jesus to develop a community of followers and for Paul, Peter, and other church planters to start new communities wherever they went as they proclaimed the Gospel.  These new communities began as small groups, just as Jesus had modeled with the twelve disciples (Mark 3:14; Luke 6:12-19). Small groups were an integral part of the early church... Continue reading...

Is Community Necessary?

     I came across another example of the importance of community that I think is worth sharing. It comes from a book called "Stories for the Heart" compiled by Alice Gray. This excerpt is titled "Object Lesson" by John MacArthur. A pastor went to see a man who didn't attend church very faithfully. The man was sitting before a fire, watching the warm glow of the coals. It was a cold winter day, but the coals were red hot, and the fire was warm. The pastor pleaded with the man to be more faithful in meeting with the people of God, but the man didn't seem to be getting the message. So the pastor took the tongs beside the fireplace, pulled open the screen, and reached in and began to separate all the coals. When none of the coals was touching the others, he stood and watched in silence. In a matte... Continue reading...

Why Community?

     I have been reading recently in a book put out by "The Voice of the Martyrs" called "Extreme Devotion".  The following quote caught my eye and caused me to say "Yes, that is why we invest our lives in small groups of community". "Jesus did not entrust his ministry to independent believers--he established a spiritual family.  He used words like "brother" and "sister" to convey the idea that he did not expect his disciples to be in this alone.  Paul continued Christ's mission by instructing new believers to gather together in churches for fellowship and corporate worship.  Christians need each other--especially in times of trial.  When one believer falters, fellow believers rally in support and encouragement.  This is why the New Testament regards the duty of living by example as a necessity... Continue reading...