Cell Biology for the Church: Why Small Groups Don’t Multiply

 

By Bill Tenny-Brittian

“Charles” is the pastor of a growing mainline church near my home. I met with him this week to talk about his home fellowship groups. The goal of the church’s small groups is to be evangelistic and multiply. The problem is, more than six years after the launch of the small group program, the groups have achieved neither objectives. My job is to find out why, to offer some insights and perhaps provide some solutions.

In my experience the three most common reasons small groups don’t multiply are:

1. Because they are a few genes short of a full strand
2. Because of aberrations during mitosis (cell division)
3. Because of an interphase interruption, resulting in insufficient chromatids

Cellular biology 101 (and you thought you’d never use this stuff when you finished high school!). Don’t panic! Even if you don’t know the difference between a chromosome and an end-zone, small group biology isn’t all that difficult. Trust me, everything will be explained.

So, let’s look at why small groups don’t multiply.

1. Some are a few genes short of a full DNA strand.

Every cell in your body contains a copy of your DNA, a double-stranded helix that’s the genetic version of blueprints for your body. The genes in the DNA determine things like how tall you are, what color your hair is and whether or not you’ll lose all that hair. Biologists believe approximately 25,000 genes are embedded within our DNA.           

Cell groups (small groups) carry their own DNA, but thankfully we’ve only identified five cell-group genes:

• Mission
• Vision
• Values
• Core Beliefs
• Expected Behaviors

In biology, when a cell divides, the DNA is replicated in the new cell. The same is true when a cell group multiplies. Thus, if the DNA of a small group is malformed, the defective traits will be replicated in any group it births. Therefore, it’s critical that all the genes are healthy in a small group’s DNA before it multiplies.

Unfortunately many small groups have DNA that’s a few genes short of a full strand. Whenever I visit a group, I’m looking for evidence of all five genes. In groups that are not multiplying, I tend to discover they’re either missing key genes or the ones they have are malformed. Space won’t allow an exploration of all five genes, but let me share two of the key issues: Missing Values and Malformed Mission.

Missing Values

Values are embodied beliefs. For instance, most small groups value fellowship and it shows. They spend time chatting together, sharing stories, etc. Most small groups value time, as in “God help you if this gathering extends longer than it’s scheduled for” kind of time. And so on.

However, there are some missing key values in small groups that don’t multiply. For instance, most small groups claim to value prayer, and every small group prays. However, groups that value prayer spend significant time praying. For example, there are other pray-ers than just the leader; there’s more prayer than just the parentheses (prayer to open, prayer to close); and rather than a designated “prayer time,” prayer is liberally sprinkled throughout the gathering. Someone mentions a need and people practice on-the-spot prayer.

Secondly, almost every group says it values evangelism, but few groups talk about it much, let alone practice it. Groups that value evangelism pray weekly for Wanderers by name. Out loud. Together. They talk about ways to invite and include their unchurched friends and put their ideas into practice. And their Bible studies and small group activities are always relevant for Wanderers’ interests rather than just their own.

Myopic Mission

Small groups generally gather for (1) Bible study; (2) prayer; or (3) some shared interest. However, these groups often suffer from a genetic abnormality—they have a myopic mission gene (short-sighted mission). Let me illustrate by sharing my visit to a local Bible study group.   

I rang the doorbell at 7:00 and was greeted by the host. After some small talk, we made ourselves comfortable in the living room. At seven minutes after the hour, the host called for a prayer (open parenthesis) and we bowed our heads for 20 seconds or so. Then we opened our Bibles and began a lively discussion on Romans 12, which is a litany of Christian behaviors. To be fair, we discussed how we felt about these practices and which ones we had difficulty with. By 7:45 we had finished, shared prayer requests, the host asked one of the participants to pray (close parenthesis), and we adjourned for refreshments. The conversation turned to local events and an upcoming church event, and I was home by 8:30.

At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be anything problematic here. But the group actually suffers from a myopic mission gene. They’ve subconsciously concluded that they exist for the group’s sake. The church doesn’t exist for itself; it exists to do the works of Jesus (John 14:12): to heal, cast out darkness, and share the Gospel. When a group suffers from a myopic mission gene they spend their time edifying and educating themselves to the exclusion of the ultimate purpose of the Church.

Gene Therapy

I wish I could tell you that the cure for these genetic maladies is simply to reeducate the group or the group leaders, but I’m a realist. You can expend a lot of energy reeducating these groups, but the results are seldom satisfactory. About the best that can be done is to attempt a DNA splice by embedding new group members who have healthy DNA. However, in my experience, the small group either suffers biological rejection of these new members, or the healthy DNA mutates to fit in with the group. I believe it’s more effective to start new groups with healthy DNA that multiply than to put much energy into fixing the unfixable. Don’t disband them—just leave them be.

2. Some experience aberrations during mitosis (cell division).

Let’s face it, mitosis is tough—lots of bad things can happen when a cell divides. Indeed, many, if not most, cellular aberrations occur during this process. The same is true when small groups divide. Rather than spend time explaining how to encourage healthy cell division, let me share two examples that illustrate.

Aberrant Mitosis

The small home group began when Carl offered to lead a study on healing inner hurts. Using open discussion and transparency, the group grew close and together experienced significant spiritual healing. At first there were only eight members of the group, but by the end of the three months, it became standing room only with 19 participants. By necessity, discussion waned. The numbers were untenable, so Carl asked Trent, one of the original group members, if he would lead another group. He agreed. The following week they divided geographically between those living closest to Carl or closest to Trent.

Two months later, both groups had dwindled and by the end of the year Trent’s group had folded, though Carl’s group continues to this day—but it never recovered and only six people attend.

Successful Mitosis

Tim led a Monday evening home group that had grown from six to 17 and was in need of division. What follows is Tim’s method of mitosis.

During the group’s weekly study time, Tim broke everyone into “Groups of Four” (actually groups of three to five) to facilitate discussion. Steve lived twelve miles from Tim. So Tim began grouping Steve with four others who lived near him in a weekly Group of Four. Tim also began asking Steve to help with other tasks like leading in prayer, serving refreshments, and preparing the Bible study.

After four months, Tim took Steve aside and asked if he would be willing to lead a new group. At first, Steve balked, saying he wasn’t qualified, but Tim pointed out how ready Steve actually was (since he’d already been fully trained). Steve agreed, and Tim asked that he start his group on a different evening than Mondays. Two weeks later, Steve announced he would be starting a group in his home on Thursdays. He invited those who lived near him in the Monday night group, and they agreed to come.

On Thursday, they began meeting. But on Monday, all of them were back with Tim’s group. However, over time, the two-night-a-week commitment got too busy, so they began to come to the Monday night group less often. Six months later, they had stopped coming to the Monday group altogether. Today, both groups are growing, healthy and multiplying leaders.

Ripping Vs. Replication

When Carl initiated mitosis, he literally ripped the group in two. When a small group is ripped apart, the chance of either group remaining healthy is reduced. Bonds between group members are torn, unresolved grief and resentment takes root, and group members seldom reinvest.

On the other hand, Tim didn’t sever anything. Steve’s group emerged of its own free will, but his group members will tell you they’ve never left. Tim invested in Steve as a leader and successfully replicated his group’s DNA. Which brings us to the third reason groups don’t multiply …

3. Some experience interphase interruptions.

Interphase is the period before a chromosome divides. During interphase, the chromosome replicates itself. If interphase is interrupted, the chromosome doesn’t replicate. No replication, no cell division. No cell division, no multiplication.

The same holds true in cell groups. If the group leader isn’t “replicated,” it’s unlikely the group will multiply because there will be a lack of new leaders. Carl and Tim, above, are cases in point. Tim replicated himself; Carl did not. Tim’s group successfully multiplied; Carl’s did not. For small group “interphase” to be successful, group leader must replicate themselves. This process is called apprenticing.

Educating Vs. Apprenticing

We live in a society where education is king, even in church: Just look at all the classes, Bible studies, books and articles on small groups. The problem is, just because we “know” all about something doesn’t mean we can put it into practice. Hence, the need for apprenticeship.

Tim apprenticed Steve. Steve didn’t read a book on small group leadership; he did small group leadership under Tim’s watchful and encouraging eye. In Steve’s case, he didn’t even realize he was being apprenticed because Tim apprentices everyone in his small group. Tim is regularly out of town on Monday nights, but the small group functions just as well without him, because over time Tim has trained everyone in every task.

So when the church needs a small group leader, guess where they look? If you said Tim’s group, you’re only partly right. The church can look to almost any group Tim has multiplied because when Tim replicates himself, each leader carries his DNA, so each leader is busy replicating themselves by apprenticing everyone in their group.

Whether you study cellular biology or cell groups, their processes of replication and multiplication are similar. If the genetic code is flawed, the cells will mutate and probably (hopefully) won’t multiply. However, healthy DNA produces healthy, multiplying cells. The key is embedding healthy DNA from the start.

William "Bill" Tenny-Brittian is a Senior Consultant with Easum, Bandy, and Associates as well as the Senior Editor of Net Results magazine. He specializes in church transformation amidst cultural change from a spiritual development paradigm. He is ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and has served as a transformational pastor in three denominations (United Methodist, Presbyterian Church USA, and Disciples of Christ). He is the author of four recent books: House Church Manual, Prayer for People Who Can’t Sit Still, High-Voltage Spirituality, and Under the Radar (co-written with Bill Easum).

© 2006, William Tenny-Brittian

 

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