I believe that it is vitally important to develop and maintain a small group in my current ministry setting. As a youth pastor I feel that students need to have small group times to get to know their peers better and further their own relationship with Christ. Small groups would allow for students to open up to one another and express themselves. Students would be willing to open up and talk about current issues that they are facing. They could do this with other teens and the group leaders. I think that by having a small group it also allows the student to take what they are learning and then learn to apply it to their life. Having a group of individuals to talk with might help them in the application aspect of what they are learning.

Putting together a successful small group ministry is tough but the ministry itself would be rewarding. One thing that I believe to be true is that, “the best ministry generally doesn’t occur during a group’s meetings so much as between the meetings.” –Carl George. Think about all the lives that could be reached by the disciples that are being created through a small group ministry. I could see the church growing drastically because of people going out and putting into action what they learned from a small group setting.

Communicating with other believers is key to maintaining and nurturing your faith. If you look at Jesus he maintained a small group of 12 that were the disciples. Jesus taught them and strengthened their faith so that they could go out into the world and fulfill the Great Commission. Likewise I need to prepare my students that are in the small group ministry to do the same thing. In John 15:8 Jesus challenges us by saying , “This is to my Father’s glory that your bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” If you invest into the people in the small group their lives will be changed and they will