The importance of small groups is vital for people to become fully devoted followers of Christ. The Bible gives us the foundation of spiritual growth within the Christian community.
In the Old Testament we see the importance of the unity between God and man in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 1:27). God had a close relationship between Adam and Eve. The sin that separated them from God affected their relationship. The need for community was in place after the fall of Adam and Eve.
In the New Testament, Jesus set the example of pouring His life into the disciples. He spent a majority of his time teaching and showing the disciples how to live. Jesus did not spend his time mainly with the multitudes, but with a small group of world changers (Matt. 13:36).
Jesus set the example that the early church continued when He ascended into Heaven. The early church was built upon small groups of people caring for each other and growing as disciples.
"Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:46-47
The early church is a great example of people that loved each other and spent their time and efforts on building relationships (Acts 2:46, 12:12, 20:8, 20:20; Rom. 16:4-5; I Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:5; Philemon 2).
Small groups are one of the best ways for people to learn and grow in their faith. The essence of small groups is creating an environment where people can open up to one another and grow spiritually. Healthy small groups are essential for any church to lead people into a growing relationship with Christ.