A Church Without Walls currently worships in Mesquite, Texas, just east of Dallas, as well as in Irving, Texas, northwest  of Dallas.  We meet weekly in small groups where we pray, study God's Word, and fellowship with other believers.  Once each month all groups come together for what is called a Gathering.  Gatherings are usually centered around food and fellowship and a sermon by Pastor Ron Ward.

A Church Without Walls will enlarge God’s Kingdom one home at a time by growing healthy Christians who build Godly relationships between each other in small groups where biblical models of fellowship, discipleship, evangelism and service are the guiding values.  Christians grow best in small groups. Biblically healthy small groups will build Christ-centered relationships that will foster fellowship, develop disciples of Christ, encourage evangelism and maximize the ministry potential of every member of the group. Small groups are the “Basic Christian Community”. 

Fostering fellowship between Christians is deeper than casual acquaintances or superficial friendships. True Christian fellowship is characterized by the kind of love Jesus spoke about when He said, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another." John 13:15-NIV)  Christian fellowship is more than mutual admiration. Christian fellowship should bring out the best in each in spite of the worst in each other. Christian fellowship is characterized by compassion, concern and caring. Christian fellowship provides the opportunities that promote spiritual intimacy and mutual transparency.

Well-developed disciples of Christ will portray the character of Christ in word and deed.  Healthy Christian disciples develop their relationship with Jesus Christ. This relationship is also deeper than a casual acquaintance or a superficial friendship. This relationship is built on a personal devotion to Jesus Christ that is infused with the awareness that Jesus Christ is always present. A well-developed disciple of Jesus Christ will love those who Jesus loves.  They will look for ways to love the unlovely, care more for the care-less, and serve the dis-served. A health disciple of Christ will know they live the Christ-centered life best in community with other Christians. A Christian disciple who works well with other Christians will impact the lives of other people in ways that will often cause them to want to become a follower of Jesus Christ also. 

Effective evangelism is all about personal relationships. Effective evangelism is motivated by love. People who love God and love those who God loves will spend their lives trying to bring people to a loving relationship with God through Jesus Christ. An effective evangelist will personalize the message of God’s love for other people. They share God’s holiness and love out of there own experiences. They will share what they know to be true. This knowledge is not only cognitive but also experiential.  They will share from their testimony what God did for them personally. 

When people’s lives are transformed by the power of God they are called to be ministers in God’s Kingdom. They are blessed with gifts that God can use to enlarge His Kingdom and to encourage His people. People are saved to serve. Biblically healthy small groups can produce the proper amount of synergy to do effective acts of service in the name of the Lord. These acts are effective because the servants are truly seeking God direction. They don’t want to do trivial or trite acts of service but they want to do the things God is blessing.
 


Small Group Meetings
 

What is it?

Ice Breaker

Worship

Edification

Sharing the Vision

How long?

10-20 Minutes

10-20 Minutes

30-40 Minutes

5-10 Minutes

Where’s the focus?

Man

To

Man

Man

To

God

God

To

Man

Believer

To

Unbeliever

What’s it look like?

Take time to get to know one another around light refreshments.  Introduce your guests. Serve one another. Find out were everyone is at physically, emotionally and spiritually Get everyone talking.

“How are you doing?” or “How are you feeling?” or “What was the most important thing that happened to you last week?”. The host is key to the success of this portion

Start turning the focus to God. Ask for testimonies of what God has done since the last meeting. “How did God show Himself as God to you?” Everyone may not answer, but if God is in this He will bring His testimony out. If there is a musician or singer then, sing. Get prayer request and take time to pray for each one after it is made. Ask for God’s blessings on the rest of the group meeting. Ask God’s blessing on the new group members. The host is key to the success of this portionThis is a balance between the teaching and facilitating. The time spent here should contribute to everyone becoming better disciples. Every lesson should have a life application. The lessons should answer, “What can I learn that will make me live a life that will please God?”

These lessons will flow out of Scripture and become alive through the people. Discussion is encouraged but the teachers are the facilitators. The teacher is key to the success of this portion

Bring the meeting to an end by remembering why we are here in the first place. Share the vision. Reaffirm values. Ask someone to share why they are there. Ask people to share names of friends they would like to see become believers or a part of the group. Pray specifically for those people. Remind people that ACWOW may not be for everybody. Pray for new Christians. Close by looking forward to the next meeting. The host is key to the success of this portion

What could happen if things are a little of balance?

A slow start may not allow you to get to the end on a high note. This starts the “bonding time” and builds relationships between group members. Setting the proper tone here will carry though the rest of the meeting. Poor worship time does not allow for individuals to connect with God. Remember “worship” is more that singing. Worship is focusing on God. Everything done here must keep God in the forefront.Lack of opportunity for participation by everyone can lead to boredom for someone. Lack of relevance and personal application undermines motivation to learn. Tie lesson into the events in during the Ice Breaker and Worship time.If group members don’t look outside the group then group will not grow. Focus and people that are not there. Look for “outreach” opportunities to serve others. Being outwardly focused cuts down on the “navel gazing”.