Much has been said lately within the Messianic community of our need for unity and the need to learn to walk at peace with brothers who may not see eye to eye on non-essential issues.  We’ve written a couple times on this topic, including Learning to Color Within the Lines and Shooting Ourselves in the Foot.  Clearly, the usual thoughts on ‘division’ are contrary to ‘unity.’

Another topic recently broached is the need for the Messianic community to study and further understand home fellowships as a model for growth and community building, particularly as it seems that persecution is on the horizon.

One article I wrote on the topic, Church as We Know it is Over, presents the thought and promised some continuing articles.  As I have further pondered the topic this week, I have to admit that my thoughts have remained in an area that in my mind does not seem to be the most important part, yet I am compelled to explore it…. 

Division for Growth

A fascinating and under-utilized aspect of home fellowships is the opportunity to decentralize and train leadership.  Yeshua, and the Hebraic model He used, would make disciples, then send them out.  Conversely, Church, as a model, has largely been, ‘let’s see how big we can make this thing and hold it together.’  The two plans are diametrically opposed!  Consider:

Big allows or encourages people to,

• hide or do nothing
• shuffle work to the 20% of doers
• avoid learning and exercising Spiritual gifts
• turn finances and ‘ministry’ over to others
• let a paid staff do the Kingdom work
• etc…

A small home fellowship encourages,

• personal, close relationships and ministry
• utilization of every Spiritual gift in the room
• development and growth of leaders who otherwise would never wear the mantle
• flexibility with resources and in ministry
• personalized outreach
• community dynamic
• etc….

(I would love for you my dear readers to add to both of these lists in the comments…  seriously, the lists are, I think, almost endless.)

I hope in our articles to touch on the above lists and more, but my thoughts this week have had more to do with division and thoughts around the importance of maintaining a small environment for multiple reasons.  The really big picture would be simply this:

So, what does all of this have to do with division?

Group dynamic is a funny thing and without delving into myriad thoughts and experiences, I can tell you, there is an optimum home fellowship size in the 25-40 range where in people stay involved and challenged, not just to participate, but to bring others along.  Likewise, below 15ish, it is sometimes hard to get great dialog and interaction moving and over 40 can get to a place where people choose not to interact and instead simply be observers.

Something else happens with over 40+ in a home. Unless the home is exceptionally large, the crowded nature makes most visitors feel a bit uncomfortable, and members are less motivated to bring a guest.

The bottom line is that in the 40-45 range, it is time to think about dividing a group into two fellowships.  Much like an amoeba, growth usually follows right after the divide.

The benefits of division include,

• forcing, in a non-confrontational way, others to step up and take some leadership responsibility
• making room for more visitors
• decentralization
• etc.

One item that area leadership really needs to focus on is fostering and developing new leaders, then helping to place them in groups that may need them.  Generally, leadership is Spirit selected and comes from within, but once in a while it may be necessary, through prayer and gentle help, to place a particular leader couple in a particular fellowship….

Area leadership should also have a number of teachers who can visit and/or guest teach wherever needed to help grow/train/mature fellowships.  More thoughts on this later…  Back to division.

When dividing a group, the parent fellowship should hold them close for a while as they ‘learn to fly.’  This includes lots of prayer and communication as well as having the newly formed fellowship break away for every other or every third Shabbat initially until they are ready to be ‘full-time.’  Like a mother bird that kicks the chick out of the nest, but then helps it a bit with protection and even a few feedings to insure survival.  We can be very intentional in this regard.

Honestly, my mind is swirling with thoughts and additional considerations, but this provides good fodder for discussion and consideration.  Division, for the purpose of growth, in a home fellowship is a good thing…  It is a difficult time for the familial and emotional attachments, but it is also an exciting time as we see and benefit from the work Abba is doing in our midst.

Shalom and blessings,

Discuss…