November 10, 2008 – Miami, Florida, United States…[Libna Stevens/IAD]
Small group ministries is not just a thing of the past. For the fast growing Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America, it’s a ministry that is spreading like wildfire and proving to strengthen the church membership.
With nearly 57,000 small groups meeting throughout the territory this year, church leaders are beginning to see and feel the strength and benefits of such a ministry.
Known as growth cells, light centers, or evangelistic units, small groups have been running sporadically in Inter-America since the 1970s when Pastor Sergio Moctezuma, then church ministries director for the Inter-American Division (IAD), introduced it.
Yet it wasn’t until two years ago that the leadership of the Inter-American Division assigned the task of small group ministries to a field secretary, Pastor Melchor Ferreyra. During the past two years, efforts have intensified in 10 out of 17 of Inter-America’s church regions to mobilize ministers and church members to participate in special small group workshops held throughout the territory.
“Small groups ministries is not a method, it’s a lifestyle,” said Pastor Ferreyra during a recent special workshop for small group ministries territory coordinators. The workshop was held at IAD headquarters in Miami, Florida, Oct. 26-28, 2008.
“A small group is generally made up of 3-15 believers or interested individuals who meet once a week at a church member’s home to pray together, read the Bible together, fellowship together and testify of what Christ has done for them during the past seven days,” said Pastor Ferreyra. After some time, the group continues to grow, later divides and joins the church as a Sabbath School class, while continuing to meet during the week.
So far, thousands of administrators, pastors and laypeople have been trained to use small groups as a growth and retention tool to improve the spiritual life of its members.
“In small groups we can keep members, we can grow, evangelize, do everything-it’s the life of the church,” he said.
Part of the success that the church in Inter-America has had in retaining its members is due to the spiritual nourishment that small groups can provide, according to Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in Inter-America, which has enjoyed a retention rate of 97 percent when compared to the total membership.
“The spiritual development of our church leaders and church members has not only resulted in incredible growth in our church but has kept the membership from leaving the church,” said Pastor Israel Leito.
In Colombia, small groups have grown from 1,000 eight years ago to 9,403, said pastor Edgar Redondo, Personal Ministries director and small groups coordinator for the church in Colombia.
“We are so happy with the results of small groups in our territory,” said Redondo. “We have seen a radical change in the life of our church members and our pastors. More members are involved in small group ministries and pastors now know that the church must have a strategic plan involving small group ministries. We have seen an increase in baptism and in resources coming into the church,” he added.
Other church regions like South Mexico and Dominican Republic have upwards of 10,000 small groups actively meeting every week, according to Pastor Ferreyra. Yet still more church regions need to join in.
Part of the challenge, said Ferreyra, is to convince church members that small groups should be a lifestyle and not a method that comes and goes, said Ferreyra. “If churches take on small groups as a lifestyle just like in the new testament, then it is different because that fellowship, that togetherness with flourish through the small groups.”
That was one message conveyed during the recent workshop which also included union administrators. The workshop was also an opportunity to make initiatives and resource materials available to leaders and church members working with small groups.
Pastor Abel Sanchez recently appointed in the newly organized church region in Central Mexico saw the benefits of small group ministries after attending the recent workshop at IAD headquarters.
“I am convinced that this ministry can flourish in our territory which has more than 36 million people,” Sanchez. “I look forward to doing my part to strengthen this [small group] ministry with my regional church leaders and ministers.”
With more than 15,000 new groups added so far this year, Pastor Ferreyra is optimistic about small group ministries in Inter-America. “We hope to have at least 95 percent of the IAD territory actively working in small groups by the year 2012.”
For more information and resources on Inter-America’s Small Groups Ministries in Spanish, English and French, visit www.grupospequenos.net
