Friday, January 7, 2005

Small Groups and Belonging

Everything I have read within the church growth sector has caused me to believe that starting small groups and being a church of small groups and not just a church with small groups is the only way you can grow your church.

I have just stared reading Joe Myers' book, The Search to Belong. He's not so much against small groups, but against thinking that small groups are the savior of the church. He brings out a different way of thinking about belonging in a community. He uses Ed Hall's space reference distance to begin the conversation of different types of community we may be a part of.
  • Public Space (12 feet+)
  • Social Space (4 -12 feet)
  • Personal Space (18 in - 4 feet)
  • Initimate Space (0 - 18 in)

What does it mean to belong in each of these spaces?