The Power and Purpose of Small Groups
A "moderate intergenerationality" approach to Community Groups
This week on The Shock Absorber, Joey Cheng, Joel McMaster and I continued with Part 2 in our mini-series on Community Groups. If you missed the theology of Community Groups, you can catch up here. This week, we delved into the strategy of community groups, the ‘how’ before getting into the ‘what’ of practice next week.
We examine various approaches to small groups, including Saddleback Church’s 5Cs model from the church growth movement and Soul Revival’s intergenerational approach. I wonder out loud about some of the assumptions built into the typical small group strategy, including:
Does going smaller always mean going deeper?
How do different age groups enrich or challenge group dynamics?
How does Soul Revival’s strategy of “moderate intergenerationality” allow for different possibilities of mixed-age and demographic-specific groups?
Finally, Joey unpacks the process of planting and leading community groups, emphasising that leadership carries weighty responsibilities in teaching, pastoral care, and discipleship.
What makes a good community group leader?
How do character, conviction, and competency shape leadership?
By fostering strong, intentional communities, small groups become more than just midweek meetings—they become vital spaces for people to grow in faith and serve together as the body of Christ.
Also in this episode:
What Joel and I have appreciated from Freya India’s conversation with Chris Williamson on the Modern Wisdom podcast including Gen Z’s shifting views on faith, the gender divide in religious engagement, and the loneliness crisis—especially among men.
Also, check out Freya’s excellent article The Need for Adults on the need for more intentional mentoring from older generations and subscribe to her SubStack at GIRLS.
Listen along to The Shock Absorber on your favourite podcast platform or watch the conversation on the YouTube link below.