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Conception and Definition of Small/Cell Group
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Paul Jang
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2008-03-24 16:05:11, hit : 4,068 |
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Conception and Definition of Small/Cell Group
The concept of home cell groups is pictured from the time of the Creation record of God's family consisted of a couple of people, Adam and Eve with God (Icenogle 1994, 22). The "with God" is absolutely significant to the Christian concept of small/cell groups (Icenogle 1994, 22). Without God therefore the small groups is meanigless. The Christian concept of small groups is pictured in the Old Testament as God's chosen people, the Israelites, and in the New Testament as Jesus' people, the believers.
How then could define samll group in the context of the local church? Even though other definitions of small group in the local church, Neal F. McBride suggested a generic definintion as follows:
A small group within the church is a voluntary, intentional gathering of three to twelve people regularly meeting together with the shared goal of mutual Christian edification and fellowship (McBride 1993, 24).
In these passages he has classified the contents of the definition of small group into nine elements: (1) within the church, (2) voluntary, (3) intentional gathering, (4) three to twelve people, (5) regularly meeting together, (6) with the shared goal, (7) mutual, (8) Christian edification, and (9) fellowship (McBride 1993, 24-26). This is an intentional definition of small group, but these elements of small group meeting seems to, in the writer's opinion, be limited to within-church group movement. But for the greater purpose of small group ministry it needs to function to the outreach ministry.
Another definition focued on discipleship and working together as Jeffrey Arnold defined small group that a small group is an intentional gathering of three to twelve people who commit themselves to work together to become better disciples of Jesus Christ (Arnold 1992, 9).
Gareth Weldon Icenogle has taken a simple definition: the small group is a face-to-face gathering of a few (three to twenty) persons to be, to share and to act for the betterment of one another and the wider good of others (Icenogle 1994, 14).
In conclusion, the small group ministry includes small-size gathering of people, discipleship training, and commitment to an evangelism. This is will of Jesus Christ.
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Introduction
Ch Growth 