And when they had come to him, he said to them: "You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 20:18-21 (emphasis added)
Corporate worship in a local church is the primary ministry of the local church. But Acts 20:20 provides biblical precedent for a very close to primary, secondary ministry. That Paul ministered not only to the while body when gathered together, he also ministered from house to house, that is, to small groups.
At Grace Bible Church we have two official small group ministries that serve two different purposes. Home Fellowships (HFs) are about fellowship and caring for one another. Discipleship groups are about spiritual growth through Bible study and accountability. We’ll consider Home Fellowships here and discipleship groups next time.
Home Fellowships exist so that people can develop and enjoy more intimate personal relationships than we can experience in corporate worship on Sunday mornings and Thursday evenings. The HF groups are led by elders or deacons, or by other couples approved by the elders. These groups, made up several households (men, women, and children), meet informally for lunch on the second Sunday of each month. Beyond that, each group is free to follow whatever format works best for their group. Besides eating, the groups discuss a spiritual topic (often discussing that morning’s sermon), but HFs are not a Bible study. The groups pray for each other, and usually have some sort of networking (via email or text) so prayer needs can be shared throughout the month. Each group prays for and corresponds with one of GBC’s missionaries. Some groups sing, others do not. While HF groups meet monthly on the second Sundays, they are free to meet at additional times during the month.
Home Fellowship leaders also meet a few times each year to encourage one another, share their experiences and swap ideas.
We do not assign people to particular HFs, preferring to allow everyone to visit a few groups and join the one they are most at home with. Those who choose not to attend a HF are not out of the loop. Until they do choose to participate, their names are on a HF’s roster so that in case they have a need, that HF is asked to reach out to help.
Nobody in the church needs to know everybody, but everybody does need to know somebody. That is what HFs are all about: relationships. They meet a need that is essential to the life of the church body. Are you in a HF? If not, may I encourage you to visit a few, and plug into one? It is only once each month but the benefits far outweigh the time commitment.