by Joel Comiskey, Making Disciples in the 21st Century Church
Christian colleges and seminaries offering accredited degrees must get approval from an accrediting agency such as the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). The reason? Quality control. Several Christian institutions, including Nyack College and Alliance Theological Seminary in Nyack, New York, closed their doors in 2023 because they couldn’t pass the educational requirements of these accreditation committees.
Quality control matters. Social workers, hospital personnel, public school teachers, and many other professions require specific employee standards—quality control matters.
But what about cell groups? Does how we define small groups matter?
I coached one large church in northern California to start with a quality definition and penetrate their community with multiplying small groups. Sadly, the other ministries in the church pressured the small group pastor to lower the small group definition, insisting on the small groups meeting in the building after hearing the seasonal mid-week teachings.
Steve Cordle’s blog on meeting outside the church is a must-read. Some might see the outside-the-church building component as mere legalism—however, the overall quality of the small group matters. Quality discipleship is the goal of house-to-house ministry.
What about weekly? Why do we encourage groups to meet weekly? The best answer is quality discipleship. It’s the same reason why churches have weekly Sunday celebration services. Does everyone come each Sunday? No, but if you go every other week, many will only get a once-per-month experience. Similarly, cell groups meet weekly, although many “fringe” attendees only attend occasionally.
What about the goal of making disciples? Some churches prioritize ministry groups, fellowship groups, or task groups. But a holistic group goes beyond one aspect and focuses on making disciples who make disciples. So, what’s the reason behind a holistic definition? Quality discipleship. I’m increasingly convinced about the importance of starting and finishing with a quality definition.
Here’s a good starting point: 3-15 people who meet weekly outside the church building for the purpose of evangelism, community, and spiritual growth with the goal of making disciples who make disciples that results in cell multiplication.
Some have fine-tuned this definition (check it out), but the motivation for quality discipleship remains.