FELLOWSHIPING AT RCCG SGLG
LUKE 24:14 -17, ACTS 2:42- 47

Rom 16:1 – 16, 17 (prayers), 18 – 20, 21-24, 25- 27 -celebration of the glory of God (v. 25 endash 27

KNOWING ONE ANOTHER
helping people discover and use their gifts.

RELATIONSHIP -: In the early "house churches", pictured vividly by Paul in Romans 16, fellowship would, no doubt, often be over a meal. There are few things more effective for building fellowship than sharing meals. It is no doubt partly due to this natural creating of CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS that the early church grew so fast, even in times of persecution.

LOVE

CARE & SHARING

GROWTH -: It is no surprise that the largest church in the world, Dr. Yonggi Cho's church in Seoul, Korea, with several hundred thousand members, is built on the house and cell group principle. According to those who study church growth, research has shown that seven smaller groups for every hundred people attending Sunday worship, is the minimum required for GROWTH.

CONCLUSION
I wonder if this is what Jesus had in mind when he declared, "Whenever two or three of you come together in my name, I am there with you" (Matthew 18:20). I used to think he meant, "Even if only a few of you gather I am still there." I now tend to think he meant, "When just two or three gather in my name, I am there in a special kind of way." In other words, the basic building block of the church is the small group in which the members are committed to one another as to Christ. We tend to think of the small group as only being a part of the church. The New Testament does not make this distinction. It is the church.

JESUS AND HOUSE FELLOWSHIP
LUK 17:5 & 6; 10:38
MATT 18:20; LUKE 24: 14-17,32; 

PAUL & HOUSE FELLOWSHIP
Paul's use of house fellowship, Acts 16-18, considering cities with known house churches, social and economic status of the Christians in the house churches, content and separation of worship services, Paul's coworkers in the mission, and the leadership structures in Pauline house churches,  the role of women in leading house churches.

BENEFITS OF JOINING
1. You will begin to really feel like part of God’s family from its very beginning has had small groups. We believe it is imperative that as our church grows larger, it should also grow smaller at the same time. It’s our desire to provide a small group for everyone that wants to get connected at Grace. In a society that is increasingly mobile and where families are fragmented, small groups can provide a family atmosphere where no one has to stand alone.

2. You will grow spiritually faster in a group than alone.
We have been “predestined to become conformed to the image of Christ” (Rom. 8:29). Spiritual growth involves life change. Life change is optimized in the context of a small group. 2 Timothy 2:22 teaches that we are to “run after” godly character and “run away” from the passions of youth. This verse instructs us not to do this alone but “with those who call upon the Lord from a pure heart.” God wants us to stop “trying” and start “training”. It’s always easier to exercise physically or spiritually in a group than alone (1 Tim. 4:7b).

3. You will receive customized care.
Each member of a small group provides care for the other members of the group (1 Cor. 12:25). The group leader oversees the pastoral care of the group through the sub-group leaders. The group, rather than church staff, becomes the first line of resources. This is accomplished as believers in the group see themselves as contributors and not just consumers, givers and not just attenders.

4. You will not have to go through struggles alone.
It’s not only possible but also probable that you could walk into and out of a large group event at Grace with hurts, heartaches, and soul-searching questions but never connect with someone that will show an interest in you or identify with your difficulty. In a small group setting the principle of “commonality” is often experienced. Many of us think our struggles are unique to us, but in a small group we find out that personal problems are universal. It’s exciting to find out that the members of your group have not only struggled with common problems but have found common solutions in God’s Word (1 Cor. 10:13).

5. You will have a natural way to share Christ with friends, relatives, and work associates.
It may be that some of your friends who don’t know the Lord wouldn’t be caught dead in a church. They have a preconceived idea and just the thought makes them defensive. But those same people may be open to an invitation to a casual Bible discussion in a home or office setting. In a small group, your unbelieving friend can ask questions and express honest doubts without feeling “put on the spot”. When your friend sees the love and warmth and honesty of your group, it will make him more receptive to the good news (John 13:35; Acts 5:42).

6. You will be a New Testament Christian.
The early church met as a large group for corporate worship at the temple and then as small groups from house to house (Acts 2:46; 5:42; 20:20; Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15; Philemon 1:2). The New Testament is very clear about how God intended for His people to meet in small groups so they could experience authentic biblical community. The New Testament is also very clear to point out that these were communities with a purpose. They used these small groups to fulfill the Great Commission in a Great Commandment way. They weren’t an end in themselves.

7. You will have a place to discover and use your spiritual gifts.
When people are born into their physical family they are given natural talents, but when they are born into the family of God they are given spiritual gifts. These gifts are God-given abilities that enable believers to effectively serve one another. Attending a spiritual gift workshop and taking a gift assessment is a vital step in discovering your gift mix, but it is the members of your group that provide confirmation of your gift after watching you in action. People that have no arena in which to exercise their gifts struggle to identify them. A neighborhood group is a wonderful place to steward the gifts God has sovereignly given you (1 Peter 4:10,11).

8. Prayer will become more meaningful to you.
Many people are hesitant to pray in front of others, especially in a large church. In a small group of 6-12, you will learn to participate in prayer by having a conversation together with God. No one is pressured to pray, but as you become comfortable, you’ll be able to pray sentence prayers and join in. There are many promises in the Bible related to group prayer. In praying together with a few others, we are drawn together and we find answers to the needs in our lives (Mt. 18:19).

9. You will develop leadership skills.
Many people are scared of the word “leadership”. John Maxwell says, “Leadership is just influence.” Most believers would say without reservation that they want to influence their world for Christ. They would love to be used by God to lead someone to Christ and see him grow up spiritually and multiply himself. Acts 4:13 says “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.” These men had obtained the confidence they needed to lead others to the Savior because they had been discipled in Jesus’ group. Discipleship ultimately produces leadership skills in you. One day you will be discipling a small group of believers.

10. You will understand the Bible better in a neighborhood group.
Have you ever listened to a message from the Bible at a worship service and wanted to stop the speaker and say “But what about….?” or “I don’t understand!” If so, then a small group is for you. The message that is taught in our worship service is one way communication. You listen while the speaker speaks. It’s fine for imparting knowledge, but not as effective for personal application as a small group. In a small group setting, you can ask questions, participate in a discussion of the text, and hear others share their insights and illustrations of the truth you are trying to grasp. The Bible must be applied to your own personal situations and that happens best in small groups.

What happens at meeting?
Many of our meetings are design around the 5W’s:
Welcome – Greeting one another as group members arrive, share refreshments and an ice-breaker question
Worship – Inviting God to manifest His presence in the meeting
Witness – celebrating opportunities to share or display our faith with our unchurched friends
Word – studying God’s Word together
Work – spending time together in sub-groups for life application, accountability and prayer