Here are some doctrines that I would look at to see if a Small Group Ministry was healthy:
1. Priesthood of the Believer
2. the Gospel
3. Sanctification
4. Adoption
5. Active work of the Holy Spirit
6. Ecclesiology
7. Missiology
This is obviously not to say the doctrines I didn’t list aren’t important. My point is, I believe the ones listed above are usually the ones that primarily separate healthy Small Group Ministries from unhealthy ones.
Rick: What is your definition of theology, Matt?
Matt: Rick, I try to keep it simply, but a little more specific than most. I simply say theology is the study of God; his being and his works. Its important to remember everyone has a theology. We all believe something about God, even if our belief is that he is mythological.
Rick: Because you’re my small groups pastor and one of the teaching pastors at our church I know you’re a passionate theologue. Most small group pastors are more about methodology than theology. What drove you so deeply into the theological space?
Matt: Hopefully what drives everyone to go deep theologically; love for Jesus. I hope no one dives into theology just to gain intellectual understanding. That is when theology gets really dangerous.
I want to know God deeply, intimately. I want to see his goodness, mercy, kindness, grace, justice, and righteousness in all he has done and all he is currently doing. We cannot know if our lives reflect the life of Jesus well if we don’t know Jesus well.
I love methodology. It is exciting and always changing, rightfully so. Yet, methodology falls really short if good theology isn’t the backbone of all we do. There is a reason Paul charged Timothy to “watch your life and doctrine closely” for in doing that we will “save ourselves and our hearers.” Methodology can’t do that.
We ought to work really hard to grow and constantly learn methodology. But, when we end up talking methodology forever and never mention Jesus we have lost our way.
We must realize that if we are to function in a healthy way theology must drive all that we do.
Rick: Why do you think many small group pastors give less attention to theology and much more attention to methodology?
Matt: I think it is for very different reasons for different people. Some people are simply more naturally inclined to think that way. It is those who are more gifted as a “king” than a “prophet.” Part of that goes to the nature of the position. We have to be pragmatists in order to lead a Small Group Ministry well. If we are all theory we can have great ideas and biblical principles that need lived out without any feet on how to actually work them out!
We are also in a culture in which caters to pragmatism over theology, sadly. We see theology as controversial and methodology as creative. Our Christian culture sees theology as something stale and only for scholars. This is sad and in a lot of ways is killing the American church.
Rick: How do you think this has affected the small group world?
Matt: We fall into the trap of always teaching “what we do” and “how we do it” without ever going deeper into “why.” Ask most people and in Small Group why they are there and they wont give you a good answer. They give a bad answer, we then think, “uh oh, its not working” and then change our methods again rather than shepherding them and walking them through the “why.” We can’t treat people like robots in a healthy Small Group ministry. We have to tell them the truths that drive the practice.
I believe most people disconnect over fallout from never understanding why they are doing what they are doing, not because the method needs to be improved even more.
We, Small Group pastors, are not called to make systems, but to make disciples. If we believe people are to live in gospel centered community (whether you use that language or not) with other Christians they need to be told and shown why, not just told its good for them. Every person, if not told and shown why they are doing something will eventually quit. Why? They can’t embrace the value and importance of it. They also cant invest its value into another disciple if they don’t know the “why.”
In summary, our lack of theological focus leads us to not answer the question why for our people. This hurts Small Group ministry because we end up throwing people into a system they don’t understand and therefore cant reproduce.
Rick: What are you doing to help the small group leaders you have oversight of to build a theological foundation?
Matt: A few things: