AN EXPERIMENT THAT
IS SUCCEEDING
We thank God for
the blessings we have received through using Small Group Bible Studies. I
started working on this strategy twenty four years ago.
In the first year, it was our goal to
establish 20 Small Group Bible Studies. It
was a great success because the Christians opened their homes and surpassed the
goal. In the second year, the goal was
set for 50 small groups. In the third
year, it was set for 80, and in the fourth year, it was set for 100.
Every year, we reached our goals.
With an attendance of 8-10 people in each
group, it means that between 700 and 800 people are studying God’s Word every
week
For the most
part, the studies occur in the homes of believers, but they are not limited to
this setting. We are also taking advantage of the opportunity to use these
studies in the homes of non-believers who want to study the Bible with us.
Although the
homes are the base of the program, we have had these studies in other places as
well. For example:
Believers have many opportunities to be a
blessing where they are through the use of these small group bible studies.
Most of the Bible study groups have been evangelistic in nature, and
because of this, there has been a strong emphasis placed on outreach to one’s
neighbors. Seventy to eighty percent
of those attending these small groups are non-Christians, because the Christians
have taken the responsibility of outreach very seriously.
Many people have been reached for Christ through
the years, and we have baptized many people every year.
The majority of these new converts are coming from these small groups
This method of evangelization works, because it
is the method of the New Testament and tested by the
This manual was written as a result of these
experiences. It is our desire that it
will be used to stimulate other churches to establish many Small Group Bible
Studies (
We are at your disposal. If we can be of help to
you in your ministry, please do not hesitate to contact us.
In Christ
PR. ODILON DOS
SANTOS PEREIRA
E-mail:
odilon.sp@bsnet.com.br
Home Page:
http://www.bsnet.com.br/usr/odilonsp/
I. BIBLICAL BASIS
Pr. Irland Pereira de Azevedo, referring to the importance of
the home in the New Testament, says: "The ministry of Jesus was closely
connected to the home, therefore he taught in the midst of families" (John
The home had an extremely important role in the
Churches need to rediscover the home as a place where the
lost can come to know Christ and the believers can encourage one another.
With a strong Small Group Bible Studies program, our churches can grow much more
than we ever dreamed possible.
II. SMALL GROUP MODELS
Various types of small groups can be formed in the home,
depending on one’s objectives. Here are
some examples:
1. Groups for edification and fellowship
- Some churches have used this method with great results. The priority of these
small groups is to help believers grow in their understanding of the Bible.
These groups are generally composed of Christians--two or three families, or
eight to ten people, who meet weekly for Bible study and fellowship.
The group may meet at a set location
every week, or they may rotate from one home to another, depending on what is
best for the group.
They may study a book of the Bible, special doctrinal
lessons, or a different chapter in a chosen book, only to mention a few
examples.
Care must be taken not to deviate from Biblical doctrine or
form independent house churches that are not connected to the church community.
To avoid potential problems such as these, it is recommended that the pastor
continue to oversee the functioning of the Small Group Bible Studies program.
2. Evangelistic groups
- Evangelism within the home through the use of Small Group Bible Studies is
very effective. Many churches have
already awakened to this reality. Others,
however, have still not discovered the blessing of using this method.
It is nothing new.
On the contrary, it was first used many
centuries ago by the
Your church will grow much more if it implements a program of
evangelization through small groups within homes.
Although the base of this program is the home, it should also take
advantage of Christians’ broader network of relationships.
We need to motivate and offer training so that students in
our churches establish Small Group Bible Studies within their schools and
universities; employees form such groups at their workplace; and employers lead
Bible studies with their employees. One
can envision small groups in hospitals, military bases, prisons, or in any other
setting where there is an opportunity to sit down and systematically study God’s
Word with at least one other person.
The longevity of the small group varies depending upon the
purpose of the particular group.
a) Permanent Small Groups
– Small groups may be established without a predetermined longevity.
They will remain active as long as there
is interest on the part of the church and the participants.
Some churches have successfully
maintained small groups for five years without interruption.
b) Temporary Small Groups
- One may also establish small groups with a predetermined termination date in
mind. Small groups may function for one
month, three months, six months, or even a year.
Many churches are having excellent results using small groups
to evangelize. They form groups for the specific purpose of evangelism through
studying only four lessons--a lesson a week, for a month. After the conclusion
of the four lessons, the participants receive a certificate.
The group then has a choice to either
continue or cease their meetings, depending upon the interest of the
participants.
IV. HOW TO BEGIN EVANGELISTIC SMALL GROUP HOME BIBLE STUDIES
1. In the beginning, the church members must be helped to see
the need for opening their homes for evangelism through small groups.
It would be a good idea for the church to
hear messages about how God used the home as a means for evangelism in the
past–-such as at the house of Cornelius in Acts 10.
2. The second step is to mobilize the homes.
Without a doubt, it is easier to find
homes available for temporary small groups. Committing
to make one’s home available to a small group for one or two months is much
easier than offering it for an undetermined amount of time.
Even so, much work and persistence is
required to organize the greatest possible number of homes committed to begin
Small Group Bible Studies. Commitment
cards facilitate this process. There should be plenty of commitment cards for
ample distribution for all the homes. They
should be distributed two months ahead of time until the goal for the number of
small groups is reached. It is important
to make a goal: five, ten, one hundred small groups... God honors our faith.
V. LEADERSHIP TRAINING
It is important to have leaders trained to guide the Small
Group Bible Studies. This will help ensure that Biblical doctrine is closely
adhered to and that the desired objectives are met.
At least three months beforehand, distribute commitment cards
to the leaders (appendix "A"). These can be personally given by the pastor to
selected leaders or to the church membership, to discover potential new leaders
that want to be trained to facilitate small groups.
When the appropriate number of leaders is enrolled, they
should receive specific training. This
should be done at least one month ahead of time.
The training must clarify their roles and how each small group
functions. It is advised that the pastor
lead one meeting that will serve as a model. In
this meeting, the pastor will act exactly as if he were guiding a small group.
He will guide the lesson and involve all the leaders present in the study.
If possible, each of the lessons should
be modeled in these training sessions.
VI. NEIGHBORHOOD INVITATIONS
These Small Group Home Bible Studies are tailored for
evangelism. Their purpose is not to gather families of the church for
fellowship, but to reach their lost neighbors. It
is easier for someone to go to his neighbor’s home than to a church.
For this reason, these small groups
should have only a few Christians participating, maybe only the host family and
the leader, and the rest should be non-Christians. But, for this to occur, it is
critical that the host family be prepared. They
need to know up-front that they are responsible for making the small group a
success.
An invitation should be prepared and printed by
the church and given to each host family.
We suggest that each host family be responsible for
distributing invitations to 30 homes in their neighborhood. The leader should
assist the host family in any way possible, helping them fill out the
invitations and distribute them.
At the conclusion of the Small Group Home Bible Studies, all
the participants that filled out at least 70% of the lessons should be invited
to receive a certificate during a special worship service at the church. They
will be called up front by name, and if possible, receive a copy of the New
Testament. On this day, many will make their decision to accept Christ publicly
VIII. ORIENTATIONS FOR THE
Evangelistic small groups should not limit themselves to only
meet in the homes of Christians. Anyone who wants to open his/her home to study
God’s Word should be given the opportunity to do so.
However, Small Group Bible Studies in the homes of faithful
Christians produce much greater results. Christians
that are open to Small Group Bible Studies within their homes should take note
of the following information (the members of the host family should remain
conscientious of the responsibilities listed below):
1. Deeply love the lost and pray specifically for the
salvation of their neighbors. It is
advised that the hosts pray daily, as a family, during their family devotions.
Mention their neighbors by name to God, or if their names are not known, pray
for the number of homes. This attitude
will lead the whole family to become interested in their neighbors’ salvation.
2. Fill out the invitations--writing the place, date and time
of the meetings. Personally hand out the
invitations in the neighborhood. We
suggest that each family be responsible for handing out the invitations, at
least to 30 homes. The invitations should
be given to all the neighbors, house by house, not just to the neighbors one
knows. It is not the host family’s
obligation to guarantee that their neighbors will come, but it is their
responsibility to prayerfully distribute the invitations.
Just leave the results with God.
3. Create an inviting and friendly atmosphere.
It is important to enthusiastically greet
the neighbors at the door. Help the
visitors feel at home by creating an informal, laid back atmosphere.
Make sure that the lighting inside and
outside are sufficient. Provide chairs
ahead of time to avoid a last minute rush. The
TV and radio should be turned off at least ten minutes before the meeting
begins.
4. Regarding the children – in all Small Groups you will have
children present. They need to receive
special attention as well. They are not
to be forgotten or seen as an inconvenience. Jesus
modeled his special interest in children to us (Mt 19.13-15; Mk 10.13-16; Luke
18.15-17). The group should find the best
way to minister to the children.
The
following are some suggestions:
Experience has shown that it is best to have the activities
in the same home. It should not be a
formal activity. They should form a dynamic group that has games, manual
activities, studies, stories, music and snacks.
A good leader will invest in the children. The leader can either be a man
or a woman. Men, as well as women, can
make a great impact in the lives of children.
5. It is a good idea to make small
gifts for
the children to take home with them, like a bookmarker for their Bible, for
example.
IX. MATERIAL USED IN SMALL GROUP BIBLE STUDIES
3.
Enrollment Card
4.
Certificate
5. Invitations
6. Enlistment of homes
7. Enlistment of
leaders
X. A BIBLE STUDY EXAMPLE:
The Love and the Plan of God
Study Number One
This is the first of a series of four Bible studies designed
to help you know Jesus Christ personally. The themes of the four lessons are the
four basic principles contained in the "Four Spiritual Laws", which is a
presentation of the basic message of Christianity.
The Four Spiritual Laws are presented as
follows:
All of the passages that you will examine in this series of
lessons are found in the Gospel of John. The references which are given, point
to the chapters and the verses of the Gospel. For
example:
We suggest that you read the Gospel of John while you study
the lessons. The comprehension of the book will help you understand better the
verses that will appear in the lessons. Begin
with chapter 1 and read one chapter per day until you finish the book. This will
take 3 weeks. Read with an open mind and
heart.
While you study the lessons, read the questions and find the
verses indicated. In some cases, perhaps
you will have to read some verses before and after those indicated to better
understand the subject. Then, write in the space provided the response in
accordance with what the passage says.
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a.
In 4:5-14 and
b.
In
c.
In
a.
b.
c.
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Do you believe that
you have already personally received the gift of abundant and eternal life
through Jesus Christ? _______.
Explain:
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Sin and the Separation of Man
Study Number Two
In study number 1, we considered the fact that God loves us
and has a wonderful plan for our lives. But, why is it that the majority of
people are not experiencing the love and the wonderful plan of God? This happens
because man is a sinner and is separated from God.
The Greek word for "sinner" that is used in the Bible
signifies "to miss the mark." Therefore,
to sin is failing to live a life conforming to the will of God.
In Romans
Because of sin, the Bible describes man as spiritually dead
and separated from God (Remember that all of the references in this study are
found in the Gospel of John).
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Remember to continue to read one chapter a day of the Gospel
of John, praying that God would help you to understand his word.
The Provision of God for the
Sin of Man
Study Number Three
In study number 2, we saw that man is a sinner and is
separated from God. Today, we see that
Jesus is the ONLY solution of God for the sins of man.
In him, we can know the love and plan of
God for life (Do not forget that all of the references in this study are from
the Gospel of John).
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(
From where did He say that he came? Where was He from? (
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What did He say that He always did? (
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a.
b.
c.
5:37-38
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d.
e.
8:12-14, 18
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[To
understand this announcement better, it is important to remember that the Jewish
people, to whom Jesus was talking, were familiar with the sacrificial system of
the Old Testament, where sheep and other animals were sacrificed for sin. When
someone sinned, an animal without blemish was sacrificed as an innocent
substitute to compensate for the sin. This
system pointed to the time when Jesus would come, one time only forever, by His
sacrifice, "take away the sins of the world."
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Remember to continue to read one chapter per day of the
Gospel of John, asking God to help you understand His word.
The Necessity of Receiving
Christ
Study Number Four
In study number 3, we saw that Jesus Christ is the only
solution of God for the sin of man. Today,
we will see that man needs to receive Christ to obtain the life that Jesus came
to provide (Do not forget that all of the passages are from the Gospel of John).
1.
What was the
great miracle that convinced the disciples of what Jesus said about himself and
his death was true? (20:1-9; 19, 20, 24, 29)
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2.
It is not enough
to just know the facts about Jesus and His teachings. What must happen before
someone is convinced that the affirmations of Jesus are true?
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3.
What is eternal
life?
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4.
What must happen
to us before we can have a personal relationship with God? (3:6, 7)
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5.
What are the two
parallel ideas in
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6.
In the language
that the New Testament was written (Greek), the words used for faith and
confidence are the same. To believe in
Jesus Christ is the same as to place your confidence or faith in Him.
In accordance with
7.
If you entrusted
your life to Christ, what happened to you? (
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8. What is the result of trusting
in that which overcame physical and spiritual death in your favor?
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9.
If, by faith, you
became a sheep of the Good Shepherd, what happened? (10:27-30)
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10.
What did Jesus
ask in prayer for them that came to believe Him? (17:15-23)
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11.
What does God
expect us to do?
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12.
What must we do,
if we want the life of Jesus to express itself through us? (15:1-8)
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13.
How is it that
others will know that you are a disciple of Jesus? (
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If you
finished reading the Gospel of John, continue your daily Bible study, perhaps
now beginning to read the New Testament, trusting that God would bless it!
From:
Campus Crusades for Christ – Bill Bright