When I moved to a Southeast Texas town to pastor a small church, I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to reach young adults. The church was primarily made up of senior adults, it wasn’t in an attractive building or part of town, and our worship style was outdated. These are all elements that tend to run young people off. Yet, we knew that reaching a younger demographic was essential to our future. But how were we supposed to do it? One of our church leaders suggested a small group ministry.

Even as a younger pastor, the idea of small groups was unfamiliar to me. I had never been part of a church with a deliberate small-group ministry. And honestly, the concept of a group of people sitting around sharing their thoughts about a Bible passage seemed flimsy and thin. “How can real growth occur in a setting like that?” I thought to myself. But I could not have been more wrong. Let me share a few things that I saw happen there.

What Happened?

None of the young adults who started attending were mature Christians – not by a long shot. Most of them can be best described as conservative and curious about faith, but they had no clue about how to actually follow Jesus. Some didn’t even know if they wanted to. Some were married, some were in relationships outside traditional and biblical sexuality, but most were single.

Our format was simple. We would gather at someone’s home and spend time just in fellowship. Someone would bring snacks, and there was always coffee. Eventually, we would gather in the living room. I would ask someone to read our passage for the evening, and instruct everyone to look for a word or phrase that stood out to them. We would read it a second time, and they had to look for what God was saying in the text. Then we would read a final time, but this time they had to ask themselves, “What is God saying to me through this text?”

I honestly didn’t expect much to come of this environment. How could it? No experts were present to guide us. No one had studied commentaries on the passage. No one was a theologian. They didn’t know terms like “hermeneutics,” “eschatology,” or “double predestination.” They were simply a group of average people (some below average), trying to figure out who Jesus was.

What I Found

But here’s what I found: all those different elements – the experts, the books, the education – are all important, but pale in comparison to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s leading is the best “tool” we have for understanding and applying scripture. Which is what started happening. The more comfortable they got with one another, with me, and with scripture, the more they began to open their hearts to the Spirit’s guidance.

In small group ministry, there is depth and growth because the most important thing you listen to and rely on is God’s Spirit. 

Here’s something else I learned in our small group: our young adults learned how to serve and minister to each other. After we finished reading scripture, we would go around the room, and everyone would share one need they had that week. It could be as simple as “I need to move a couch” or “I need to mow my yard.” Then, we would go around again and ask, “Who can meet this need?” Almost every time, someone’s need was met that week. Week after week, this group was being Jesus to one another. Week after week, we were making each other into disciples.

Consider all that’s needed for this kind of environment to thrive: knowing each other, sharing life together at a relaxed pace, having open dialogue about the Bible, listening for the Spirit’s voice, and tangibly serving and ministering to one another. I’m not saying this only happens in a small group, but it’s quite challenging to do in a classroom of 20+ people and still have a traditional Bible study. Both approaches are necessary, but trying to do it all in one hour on a single day of the week is impossible. If we are going to grow as disciples, we need both in our lives – a deep study of scripture in a traditional model as well as a small group in which to apply what we’ve learned.

Take A Next Step

Our church has long recognized this deep need for connection – and now we’re stepping boldly into it. That’s why on Sunday, December 7, at 9:45 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall, we’re hosting an Interest Meeting for anyone who feels that nudge, that holy curiosity, to explore joining a small group. Come hear the vision, learn how our groups work, and discover where you might fit in.

And friends… we don’t just need participants. We need leaders.
If you light up when people take their next step toward Jesus…
If you love seeing conversations turn into community…
If you’re energized by creating spaces where faith can flourish…

Then we’re looking for you.

We’re praying for at least ten bold, faith-filled pioneers who are willing to step out of whatever else you’re doing and help launch something new.

So – where are my pioneers?
If your heart just skipped a beat, it might be you. Let’s build something beautiful together.