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For more on honoring and equipping women in your church, see our guide to deacon wives and women in small church ministry.

By Brent Lacy

Here is a question worth sitting with: does your congregation know each other?

Not just recognize each other. Know each other. Know each other’s names, families, struggles, and stories.

Sunday morning worship creates a shared experience. It does not create community. Community is built in smaller, more intimate settings where people can be honest, ask questions, and be known.

That is what small groups are for.

Why Small Groups Matter in a Small Church

You might think: our whole church is a small group. We all know each other.

Maybe. But a congregation of 65 people sitting in rows on Sunday morning is not a small group. It is an audience. The dynamics are completely different.

In a small group, people can ask questions. They can share struggles. They can pray for each other by name. They can be honest in ways that are not possible in a public worship service.

Even in a small church, small groups create a level of community that Sunday morning cannot.

Types of Small Groups

Bible Study Groups

The most common small group format. A group of 6 to 12 people meeting weekly or biweekly to study Scripture together. Works best when it includes discussion, not just lecture.

Life Stage Groups

Groups organized around a shared life stage: young couples, parents of young children, empty nesters, singles. These groups create natural connection because members are navigating similar challenges.

Interest-Based Groups

Groups organized around a shared interest or activity: men’s hunting group, women’s book club, couples’ dinner group. The activity creates the context for relationship. The relationship creates the context for discipleship.

Missional Groups

Groups organized around a shared service project or outreach effort. These groups build community through shared purpose and action.

Starting Your First Small Group

Do not launch a small group program. Launch one small group.

The pastor or a trusted lay leader invites 5 to 8 people to meet for 6 to 8 weeks. Choose a simple study or discussion guide. Meet in a home. Keep it low-pressure.

At the end of the 6 to 8 weeks, ask: do you want to continue? Most groups say yes. Some members of that group will eventually start their own groups. That is how a small group culture grows.

Training Small Group Leaders

Small group leaders do not need to be Bible scholars. They need to be able to facilitate honest conversation, create a safe environment, and keep the group focused on Scripture and prayer.

A simple 2-hour training covers:

• How to ask good discussion questions (open-ended, not yes/no)
• How to handle difficult group dynamics (the person who dominates, the person who never speaks)
• How to keep the group focused without being controlling
• How to handle pastoral care needs that arise in the group
• When to refer someone to the pastor

Common Small Group Problems and Solutions

• The group becomes a gossip session. Establish confidentiality norms in the first meeting. What is shared in the group stays in the group.
• One person dominates every discussion. Ask the leader to direct questions to specific people. “What do you think, Sarah?”
• Attendance becomes inconsistent. Remind members of their commitment. A group that meets inconsistently loses momentum quickly.
• The group becomes inward-focused. Build in regular opportunities to serve together or invite new people. Groups that never grow eventually die.

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