What Is Working in Your Church? ⭐

[Leafblessing]

Greetings fellow pastors and small group leaders! I’m glad to be part of this forum. I’m interested in learning how different churches are strengthening small-group Bible study, discipleship, and fellowship. What has worked well in your church, and what challenges have you faced? I would love to learn from your experiences and connect with fellow leaders. God bless you all!

 

[Churchgoer]

Church has 2 important role to play.
1. Sound Biblical teaching.
2. Hold leadership accountable for their conduct.

If 1. Is missing, then go find another that does.

If leadership commits sin and congregation still have him at leadership role, then go find another church.

If both 1 ana 2 are good, then this church is pretty good.

 

[Burn1986]

I’m not completely in leadership yet. It seems having Sunday School/ small groups works better before the service than after. Unless the church has two services then one before and one after works well.

I also think having a men’s prayer group and women’s prayer group at least once a week is very good. For the men, it can be early and the women can maybe be a little later (after kids are in school).

There needs to be a dedicated prayer time or prayer team at the church, with child care.

 

[Leafblessing]

Church has 2 important role to play.
1. Sound Biblical teaching.
2. Hold leadership accountable for their conduct.

If 1. Is missing, then go find another that does.

If leadership commits sin and congregation still have him at leadership role, then go find another church.

If both 1 ana 2 are good, then this church is pretty good.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I agree that sound biblical teaching and godly accountability are both very important in the life of a church. I also believe that healthy fellowship and discipleship help believers grow together and encourage one another in the Word.

I appreciate your perspective. In your experience, what has helped your church maintain strong accountability while also encouraging members to grow spiritually?

 

[Leafblessing]

I’m not completely in leadership yet. It seems having Sunday School/ small groups works better before the service than after. Unless the church has two services then one before and one after works well.

I also think having a men’s prayer group and women’s prayer group at least once a week is very good. For the men, it can be early and the women can maybe be a little later (after kids are in school).

There needs to be a dedicated prayer time or prayer team at the church, with child care.

Thank you for sharing this. I really appreciate the practical perspective, especially the idea of having dedicated prayer groups for both men and women. I also agree that making prayer and discipleship a regular part of church life can help people grow beyond the Sunday service.

Even though you’re not fully in leadership yet, it sounds like you have some thoughtful ideas about ministry. What have you personally seen work best in the church or small groups you’ve been part of?

 

[Churchgoer]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I agree that sound biblical teaching and godly accountability are both very important in the life of a church. I also believe that healthy fellowship and discipleship help believers grow together and encourage one another in the Word.

I appreciate your perspective. In your experience, what has helped your church maintain strong accountability while also encouraging members to grow spiritually?

As I said, the 1 and 2. That helps to grow our faith.
Yes agree Bible study group, fellowship, everyone serve together, not a guest, but a son daughter of father s house. ....

 

[Karlon]

Greetings fellow pastors and small group leaders! I’m glad to be part of this forum. I’m interested in learning how different churches are strengthening small-group Bible study, discipleship, and fellowship. What has worked well in your church, and what challenges have you faced? I would love to learn from your experiences and connect with fellow leaders. God bless you all!

we have a church but we don't. i haven't an answer for you. the challenges are very poor pastoring & poor musicians in the church band. they play the same rhythm pattern for every song, year after year. i taught the singer how to sing diaphremetically & he said he couldn't do it. this area has been dead for decades. because churches are small, it doesn't seem the pastor feels responsible to do a better job. they seem lazy. i was at a church last year & during the gospel, the pastor said, 3 times, "well, its in the Bible somewhere"! certainly nothing to learn here.

 

[Billyd]

Sound, consistent Bible study, teaching and worship, along with many prayers.

 

[Burn1986]

Thank you for sharing this. I really appreciate the practical perspective, especially the idea of having dedicated prayer groups for both men and women. I also agree that making prayer and discipleship a regular part of church life can help people grow beyond the Sunday service.

Even though you’re not fully in leadership yet, it sounds like you have some thoughtful ideas about ministry. What have you personally seen work best in the church or small groups you’ve been part of?

Nothing fancy (for Sunday school/ small groups). Just a basic Bible story with questions. The group discusses it and each person gets to provide insight. For prayer groups, each person prays on their own for 15 mins (light easy music, low volume in the background/ or no music). Then the group comes together for 15 mins and each person prays aloud (if it’s a large group, then this may need to be split up into groups of about 5 people each). Then the leader, closes it out.

 

[Burn1986]

The music in a church is also important. If a church cannot control the volume of the music then they need to eliminate the drums, and possibly the base guitar. These cause very distracting pulses in your chest when they’re too loud.

The praise team also needs to sing songs that the congregation can sing to. And they don’t need to be overpowered by the music. (The Holy Spirit is gentle). They need to have at least one or two “good melody” songs that they sing each Sunday so that the congregation knows it and can sing along enthusiastically.

Usually “Non-Denominational” Baptists have big problems getting this right.

 

[DavidLamb]

The music in a church is also important. If a church cannot control the volume of the music then they need to eliminate the drums, and possibly the base guitar. These cause very distracting pulses in your chest when they’re too loud.

The praise team also needs to sing songs that the congregation can sing to. And they don’t need to be overpowered by the music. (The Holy Spirit is gentle). They need to have at least one or two “good melody” songs that they sing each Sunday so that the congregation knows it and can sing along enthusiastically.

Usually “Non-Denominational” Baptists have big problems getting this right.

I think any musical instrument, not only bass guitar and drums, can be played too loudly. The instrument(s) used in worship should accompany the congregation as they sing hymns, not overpower them.

You talk about "the praise team." I have never been a member of, or visited, a church that has such a thing. I wonder where in the Bible those who do have them find such a thing. Why not just the congregation singing, with an accompaniment if necessary, to ensure that everybody is singing at the same speed and pitch?

 

[Burn1986]

I also like the idea of corporate fasting, deliverance studies/ conferences, church rehabs, church housing-rescue for mothers/abused women, work or job programs, fasting/ prayer retreats