4. Small groups can facilitate sustainability
12 2 1
5. In small groups no one should feel alone
9 3 3
6. Small groups can foster
Christian love between believers
11 3 1
7. Small groups can encourage believers
14 1
8. Small group permit outreach and discipleship
15
9. Small groups facilitate church growth
14 1
10. Small groups help to grow spiritual gifts
12 3
Total 126 17 7
The information given by the Gikondo church elders indicated that small groups are important because 126 of 150 responses or 84% strongly agreed that small groups are very important in various ministries.
Table 16
Questionnaire Addressed to Thirty Gikondo Members
Note. Adapted from S. M. Rose, 2008, p. 167. Breaking the growth barrier at Muskogee
first assembly: Facilitating assimilation and developing community Through small group ministry (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, Muskogee, Oklahoma. http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.cc.andrews.edu/pqdtft/ docview/305168700/4AD8C8BA194345D4PQ/1?accountid=8313
The responses given by the church members show that the 50% of the
respondents already participate in small groups. This means that more small groups are needed in the Gikondo Church. Concerning the benefits that members could receive from small groups, 100% of the respondents believed they could benefit. In general, many members felt that to be in a small group is helpful to the Christian life.
After presenting my proposal to the Gikondo church leadership, the church board approved my small group project in October 2012. In November 2012, I presented my plan to the board of elders to get their assistance and had a prayer session with them for
Evaluation Yes No N/a
1. 1. I am currently in a small group 15 15
2. 2. I feel I would benefit from a small group 30 3. I believe small groups can be effective in changing my life 25 5 4. I feel uncomfortable sharing my personal issues in a small
group and listening to others share their personal issues.
12 13 5
5. I believe small groups help assimilate people in the body of Christ
30
6. I need to be a part of a small group. 28 2
7. I feel personal Bible study and prayers are more effective than a weekly or bi-weekly meeting with people who hold me accountable.
25 5
8. I feel small groups are just another program, and I don’t see the relevance for my life.
30
9. I do not have time to be in a small group. 27 3
the project. In December 2012, I contacted the small group leaders and shared with them the vision of using a small group approach to increase church growth. I also invited them to pray and consider this project and gave them a schedule of the various seminars planned for small groups.
Accomplishments
1. Training Materials Produced: The Bible, literature, articles, Ellen White books, and other Christian books were used to develop and produce training materials. The production of the training manual took place from the third quarter to the fourth quarter of 2012. We produced 220 copies of the materials; thus we were able to give one copy to each participant. See Appendix B for the training manual of various seminars and topics dealing with small groups.
2. Leaders and Members Trained: Because the membership of the Gikondo Church is 1,500 and is split into 11 locations, it is not easy to implement a small group ministry at all the branches at the same time. That is why I preferred to begin the project implementation with one location which served as a model for the other locations. The training seminar of small group leaders and church officers from Kagunga was conducted on January 25, 2013. The training seminar for members took place on April 1, 2013. After three months, the members were organized into small groups of twelve people each. When the remaining church leaders and church members discovered what was going on in Kagunga, they were interested in also starting small groups. On July 30, 2013, I conducted a training seminar for small group leaders for the remaining localities. On August 28, 2013, it was time to train the members. The program schedule and the outline of the seminars are in Table 15. This training program encouraged and motivated
the participants to be actively involved in small groups. Table 17 gives a summary report on the small group ministry seminars.
After presenting my proposal to the Gikondo church leadership, the church board approved my small group project in October 2012. In November 2012, I presented my plan to the board of elders to ask for their assistance and to spend time in a prayer session with them for the project. In December 2012, I contacted the small group leaders and shared with them the vision of using a small group approach to increase church growth. I also invited them to pray and consider the project. I also gave them a schedule of the various seminars on small groups.
Table 17 shows the various seminars conducted in the Gikondo Church from 12 January to 14 September 2013. The seminars that I conducted were first of all to train the church elders, and second church officers including Youth Ministry leaders, women, families, children, lay activities leaders, family ministry, health, and Sabbaths school committees. In the third place, the training was held for choir members, small group leaders, and other church members.
The topics of the seminars were: biblical foundations for small group ministries, small group ministries according to Ellen G. White and other Christian authors, spiritual gifts in the church, and leadership and small group activities. Table 17 shows the
110
Table 17
Schedule of Various Seminars on Small Groups
Date Conducted Type Participants Topics Attendance
January 12, 2013 Church elders Biblical foundations for small group
ministries and small group ministries according to Ellen G. White and other Christian authors.
15
January 12, 2013 Church elders Spiritual Gifts in the church 15
January 26, 2013 Church elders Leadership and small group activities 15
February 2, 2013 Church officers Biblical foundation for small group ministries and small group ministries according to Ellen G. White and to other Christians authors
85
February 9, 2013 Church officers Spiritual Gifts in the church 97
February 23, 2013 Church officers Leadership and small group activities 95
March 2, 2013 Youth ministry, women, family, children, lay activities, health , and Sabbath school committees
Biblical foundation for small group ministries and small group ministries according to Ellen G. White and other Christians authors
21
March 9, 2013 Youth, women, family, children, lay activities, health, and Sabbath school committees
Spiritual Gifts in the church and small groups activities
18
March 30, 2013 Youth, women, family, children, lay activities, health, and Sabbath school committees
Spiritual Gifts in the church and small groups activities
111 Table 17—Continued Date Conducted Type Participants Topics Attendance
May 4, 2013 Choirs Biblical foundation for small group ministries and small group ministries according to Ellen G. White and other Christians authors
180
May11, 2013 Choirs Leadership, spiritual Gifts in the church, and small groups activities
165