The Secret of Medium-Sized Communities
Most reluctance to join a small group can be melted away with a good experience in a medium-sized community. Even introverts will love this.
What Are Medium-Sized Communities?
Medium-Sized Communities (MSC) are where you belong before you believe. They are safe step before a person chooses to become a part of a small group.
MSCs are an environment where the unengaged get engaged in biblical community, the lost come to know Jesus, leaders are developed, lives are restored, care and prayer happens both in and outside of the groups, and both introverts and extroverts find community. It’s the “one anothers” being lived out.
MSCs are groups of twenty to fifty people who journey together to celebrate, grow, and be a blessing to those they live, work, and play with. A community that is formed around a common affinity, geography, or societal need—and this gathering point becomes the mission focus of the group. They are a community on mission with one another.
MSCs are not just a scheduled meeting. Typically, there is a large group gathering every other week, with smaller groups for study and get-togethers in the off weeks. Not a large small group, nor a small weekend gathering. An open, inclusive, and safe environment where friendships are formed and you can discover who you could potentially grow a “deeper” relationship with.
Where Does a MSC Meet?
Homes that have at least fifteen hundred square feet of space are the ideal environment. You don’t need seating for everyone attending, since the MSC has a standing-room-only feel. Think standing reception, not small group. Community halls and parks work as well, depending on the time of year and where you live, but discussion is a bit more difficult to have in these locations. Your church building is not the ideal place to host MSCs, since it’s not reproducible or scalable.
What Does a Typical MSC Gathering Look Like?
People are eating and chatting with one another. Some people are gathered in groups of five or six and others are talking in groups of two or three. These gatherings are large enough that you won’t be the center of attention when you’re new, but small enough that you’ll find someone you can connect with. They typically last anywhere from ninety minutes to three hours.
There are three different types of gatherings: discussion, social, or mission focus:
A discussion night starts with food. There is then a five-or ten-minute big idea teaching time, that is followed up with individuals forming into ad hoc small groups to discuss, process, pray, and apply the ideas.
A social night might have large or smaller group games, like Pictionary, but it will definitely have food. Its purpose is to build relationships and allow conversation to happen naturally.
A mission focus night can range anywhere from determining the group’s mission focus, having a discussion on it, praying over it, or going out and doing it. For example, an MSCs might regularly reach out to the international students at the university. So for one of their MSC gatherings, they charter a bus, invite the international students out to the Good Friday services, and then have dinner together afterwards.
Who Leads a Mid-Size Community?
MSCs are led by a leadership team of three-to-six people. The MSC leadership team is a co-discipling environment. The team members are praying for one another, supporting one another, discipling one another, and pointing one another toward Christ. Every team member has the following: a missional mind-set, a solid foundation, leadership capacity (able to lead up to fifty people), and previous and/or concurrent participation in an MSC.
The Value of an MSC
Assimilation: Newcomers will not feel obligated to keep coming, nor are they the centre of attention. It’s easy to step into an MSC environment, since the environment is conducive to this. It’s a great place to meet a lot of new people or a few people.
Multiplication: In small groups, multiplication is an incredibly hard and painful thing since the group is small and the relationships are tight. In MSCs, multiplication doesn’t feel like radical surgery, since there are so many more people. In MSCs there is less ambiguity as to who goes where, because multiplication happens based on mission. In other words, when a MSC grew too large, young couples without children were sent out to reach and minister to other young couples without children.
Discipleship: The MCS lead team is an environment for discipleship. Leaders receive initial training and ongoing support from the pastor. Every leader in an MSC must put their faith in action their leadership. They discover that discipleship is a 24/7 thing not just a weekend thing.
“No Silver Bullets: Five Small Shifts that will Transform Your Ministry" by Daniel Im, Thom S. Rainer
Bob Jones is the founder of REVwords.com, an author, blogger, and coach with 39 years of pastoral experience. Bob is also an Advance Coach with the ABNWT Resource Centre. You can connect with Bob here.