Disciple Making in the Social Space
“In those days Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters—the company of persons was in all about 120—and said…”
At One Life Church we want to help move people from large to smaller gatherings. It is our plan because it is what Jesus modeled in his discipleship with those who were following him. Looking at Jesus’ life, there were four distinct groups he interacted with: the Crowds, the Disciples, the Twelve, and the Three. I want to take a look at “the Disciples” and learn from Jesus how we can utilize mid-size gatherings to help people move.
Before doing a recent study on discipleship, I had always equated the Disciples with the Twelve. The Twelve were certainly disciples, but there was a larger community of disciples that followed Jesus. Luke mentions Jesus sending out 70, the passage quoted above mentions 120, and in John 6:66 it says “many” of his disciples stopped following him. This mid-size group fills what sociologists call the Social Space of relationships, bridging the gap between the Public and Personal Spaces.
When we talk about Connecting people to the Church and moving them in their experience of Jesus, mid-size gatherings (think between 20-100) have the following benefits:
Natural Connection and Conversation – If you are the new person or couple in a group of eight, that can be pretty awkward. If you are just one of 40 people socially mixing about, that is a more normal experience.
Easier Invite – Mid-size gatherings are typically centered on an event or an affinity. This helps us identify real people in our lives we could invite. “Oh, John would like this,” or, “Jane said she needed that.”
Respects the Journey – If we are on mission—helping people far from God experience Jesus—then the idea of a weekly meeting in a strangers living room is a foreign and intimidating idea. Mid-size gatherings can help people connect while in process.
Moving Toward Personal – However, we do have to keep moving large to small. Let’s pose a hypothetical question. Which sounds more appealing: (1) Inviting a complete stranger that you just met to your growth group? (2) Inviting someone you have talked to 3-4 times, know their name, and a bit of their story to your growth group?
That’s just a few of the benefits which have specifically to do with helping people connect to the Church, but I believe that Jesus structured his relationships this way in order to accomplish his mission as well. Here are some missional benefits the Social Space helps create:
Missional Mobility – It is hard work mobilizing a church of 200, 500, 1000+. The amount of communication, resources and energy you have to put into such an effort makes it realistic to only do it a couple times a year. But a group of 20-100? They have the agility to mobilize regularly.
Missional Momentum – I love small groups, but they don’t necessarily scream ‘momentum!’ There is something about higher numbers that brings energy, excitement and an overall sense that we are going somewhere and doing something!
Missional Impact – A simple illustration we use in From Couch to Community: Which has more impact, a snowflake landing on your face or a snowball slamming into it? There is a critical mass you have to reach for genuine impact.
Missional Community – However, if you only rely on the large gathering it is easy to think “they” will do it. The mid-size gatherings allow for momentum and impact while still carrying the potential to be known and an active participant in the mission of the Church. In fact, it requires it.
Jesus utilized the Disciples—the mid-size group that filled the relational ‘Social Space’—for both Connection and Mission. How does this help in your understanding of Disciple Making?