There is something beautiful about a small church. People know one another’s names, families grow up together over the years, and life’s joys and sorrows are shared with a community that has become something like an extended family. In a healthy small church, the ordinary rhythms of Christian fellowship often come naturally: people gather to worship, share meals, study Scripture and care for one another.
We believe these ordinary relationships are among the most important things a church can cultivate. The gospel invites us into a community whose lives are increasingly shaped by the love of Jesus Christ, and much of that change happens through the patient, sometimes difficult work of living alongside other Christians.
Growth in the Christian life
The apostle Paul wrote, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:6, ESV). The work of ministry belongs to God, even as he invites us into it. Churches proclaim the gospel, teach Scripture, welcome strangers and care for their members, trusting God to give the growth.
So churches do well to think deeply about the spiritual formation of the people already in their care. A congregation of fifty can be an extraordinary place of discipleship, where Christians learn to confess their sins, practice hospitality, forgive one another and grow in holiness. That takes time, steady attention and real commitment to one another.
John Wesley wrote that “the Gospel of Christ knows of no religion, but social; no holiness but social holiness.” He saw something essential about discipleship: our lives are formed in relationship with other people, through shared worship, prayer, encouragement and care.
Why we believe in small groups
Be Small focuses entirely on small-group ministry because small groups are one of the most practical ways a church can encourage this kind of life. They give people a regular place to know and be known, to read Scripture together, and to find the friendship and accountability that help faith mature over a lifetime.
We want these gatherings to be easy to organize and easy to join. Be Small helps churches manage their groups, welcome new people, keep members informed and share resources, so pastors and volunteer leaders have more time for the relationships that make a group meaningful.
The writer of Hebrews urges Christians to consider how to stir one another up to love and good works, and not to neglect meeting together (Hebrews 10:24–25). That is a good description of what small-group ministry can do.
Our hope is that Be Small helps churches of every size, especially those with limited resources, cultivate the life together that Scripture describes. There is real dignity and beauty in the ordinary work of Christian fellowship, and we want to make that work a little easier.
A small church can be a wonderful place to grow in Christ. We built Be Small to help it flourish.
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