Appeared in Strategies for Today 's Leaders, 1998
Reviewed by Joel Comiskey
Starting Small Groups: Building Communities that Matter
Author: Jeffrey Arnold
Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1997, 142 pp.
Jeffrey Arnold wrote Starting Small Groups: Building Communities That Matter to guide Christian leaders through the process of creating and sustaining a small group ministry. Two foundational premises permeate this book:
1. The church of Jesus Christ needs to return to its roots.
He writes: “After centuries of institutionalization, the church is returning to the homes and the lives of its people” (13). 2. Christian leaders often start small groups without planning to sustain a long-term small group ministry. For this reason, many small groups languish and disappear over time.
This book is a call to planning. Arnold holds tightly to the adage, “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.” According to Arnold, if you want your small group ministry to succeed you must: 1. Strategically plan your small group ministry (chapter1-3)
2. Analyze the history and values of your church (chapters 4-5)
3. Dream about the way your church should look and prescribe practical goals to get there (Chaps. 6-7)
4. Formulate and codify your strategy (Chapters 8-9,11)
5. Prepare to fully train your leaders (chapter 10)
This book is clearly written and full of practical suggestions. You’ll also enjoy the well-crafted illustrations that open each chapter. What does Stonewall Jackson have to do with small group ministry? Read chapter 8 and you’ll find out. If you’ve considered starting a small group ministry or fine-tuning the one you have, you’ll want to buy this book.
Further reading from Cell Church Solutions: Comiskey's book Cell Church Solutions (2005) dedicates an entire chapter to how God wants to bring back community to lonely, isolated people through cell ministry. Order HERE or by calling 1-888-344-CELL.
