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Care Group

Why do We Need Care Groups?

How many members are PRAYING for you regularly?

How many members can be AVAILABLE in times of need or celebration? How many members can you turn to with ease and confidence?

How many can you CONTACT monthly?

How many know you well enough to see you as an EXAMPLE, not as a perfect Christian, but as one who loves the Lord, and His people?

(Questions taken from Melvin J. Steinbron, “The Lay Driven Church ”)

If we ask ourselves or P A C E ourselves with these questions, and our answers are more negative than positive, then it is an urgent indication that you will need to be in a care group for your needs to be met.

As a church grows in size, it becomes more and more difficult for its worshippers to maintain close relationships with one another and to be cared for. By dividing ourselves into small groups, we stand a better chance of being personally cared for.

Here are some Bible teachings that point to Care Groups as the best approach for caring for members of the church.

A. The “One Another” Principle 

Rom 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

Gal 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Eph 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

1Th 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

There are more than 50 such “one another” verses in the New Testament. These verses strongly point to the need to practise a greater dynamic of relationship comprising not just one-to-one exchanges, but a multiple of relationships in a close-knit situation. In order to do that, the church will have to be very proactive to provide the opportunity for members to exhibit this “one another” lifestyle. Care Groups are known to be the best platform for members to learn this “one another” behaviour.  

B. The Body Life Principle  

1 Cor 12:12-15 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.

The body operates on the basis of “parts”: the parts referred to give clear indication that the body organises itself and functions according to each individual grouping or part. For example, the arm consists of fingers, palm, wrist, upper and lower arm basically. Each part is important for the proper functioning of the whole arm. No part can exclude themselves (note v.15) from the body…everyone is included. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.

The lessons are twofold here. Firstly, the best approach for caring for each member is to recognise the different parts operating in the church, or to view the church as a grouping system. Secondly, we have to care for each and every one; and no one should be excluded.

C. Jethro’s Principle  

Exodus 18:13-26 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?" 

Jethro, upon noticing Moses’ predicament about meeting the people’s needs, advised Moses, “But select capable men from all the people--men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.”

It is clear that just as Moses needed to take the lead and to organize the people into groupings, so the church must take the lead…it is a divine responsibility to care for the sheep by searching for the best organizational approach. Thus far, churches all over the world have discovered that the cell-group or care-group system is one of the excellent ways forward.

It is clear that the result will be positive for the life of the church as a whole if believers can willingly participate in the full organizational system of care groups.

D. Jesus’ Method

 Not many of us realise, but Jesus himself had a grouping system to care for people.  

• So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. Mark 6:40 ,41

• But he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each." The disciples did so, and everybody sat down. Luke 9:14,15

• Jesus also sometimes taught in small group: sometimes he would pull the 12 disciples aside just to teach them.

The point is that a grouping system provides the best approach for caring for our people. Jesus initiated the system, and the disciples only had to implement it. We only need to apply the logical mathematical division to organise the caring needs of our members.

E. The Early Church Model

As seen in Acts 2:36 -42:

AC 2:36 "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

AC 2:37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"

AC 2:38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."

AC 2:40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

AC 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Growth of Believers: Conversion to Community Life  

Observe that the fundamental force that drove the dynamic church life of the early NT times is the genuine repentance of the people when they were pierced in their hearts after having been convinced of their sins. Repentance is not just turning from an individual life of sins to an individual new life in Christ, but it is turning from an individual life of sins to a community life in Christ! True conversion flows into corporate worship and thence into the activities of small home groups.

Those who are church members, having expressed their true repentance through baptism, are expected to follow through their demonstration of real faith by being involved from the corporate level down to the level of care groups.

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