After you’ve had a few individual conversations with potential disciples, it’s time to gather them into a group. While it’s possible to disciple someone one on one, the best environment for making disciples is a small group of three or four people.
Throughout the Bible, you can see that God often did amazing things through groups of people. When God created Adam, He gave him a helper because it is “not good for man to be alone” Genesis 2.18 ESV. When God called Abraham, He surrounded him with a small group of family and relatives. When God chose Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses relied on Aaron and Miriam for help. The great King David even had his group of “mighty men.”
Jesus, too, worked in a group. He selected twelve men to be His apostles and then chose three more (Peter, James, and John) to join his inner circle. These men became the leadership team of the early church. The Apostle Paul traveled in groups for his missionary journeys and appointed elders to oversee the churches he planted. It’s clear that God does big things through small groups.
In (Ecclesiastes 4.9-12 ESV), King David’s son, Solomon, gives four reasons why life is better when it’s lived together:
1. We work better together.
Solomon says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil” Ecclesiastes 4.9 ESV. A group can accomplish far more than an individual can accomplish on their own. As your group meets, you’ll go and grow further, faster.
2. We learn better together.
Solomon continues, “if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up” Ecclesiastes 4.10 ESV. People in your group might make bad decisions or stumble into sin. Someone might develop a bad habit or unhealthy relationship. In those times, you can rely upon each other’s accountability, support, and prayers.
3. We help each other.
Solomon goes on, “if two lie down together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone?” Ecclesiastes 4.11 ESV. In a group, you will experience the warmth of community that comes from knowing others and being known by them. You will form a bond of friendship that will last for years to come.
4. We strengthen each other.
Finally, Solomon insists, “though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him – a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4.12 ESV). As your group meets and you all seek to become more like Jesus, it’s likely that you’ll experience spiritual warfare. Disagreements and busyness will show up to distract you from your goal. In those times, you have to stay together and grow stronger together.
One last thing. Your group should be gender-specific. That means that guys should be with guys and girls with girls. This is how Paul instructed Titus to set up groups (Titus 2.1-6 ESV), and it allows for an environment of openness and transparency that facilitates accountability and understanding.
This blog features an excerpt from one of our Student Series books, Invest In A Few.
