Missional Small Groups: Becoming a Community That Makes a Difference in the World

by M. Scott Boren

Missional think tank Allelon reenvisions the small groups movement through a book by the leading voice in missional communities.

Genres: Theology, Discipleship, Nonfiction, Church

192 pages, Paperback

First published May 4, 2010

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather than acknowledging the fact that the culture has shaped the church and life in America, just as it has been shaped by those same people it shapes, Boren's model is basically to deny it and force everyone in the small group to change how they live. Basically, they have to become un-American to be a part of the small group. The problem is, that's a major commitment that takes time to make and actually understand. There has to be the ability to work with people who are growing slower. Not to say that Boren's model isn't great - it is. In a different area than my own, it has potential to work great. But Boren himself doesn't allow for his method to evolve with the changing times. People are becoming more introverted and disconnected, which means it will be even more difficult to help them make such a drastic commitment that will effect: where and when they move, how they live, what they do with their time and money, etc. Boren isn't just fighting American culture with his model, he's fighting human nature. How is the missional model going to get a single male who struggles with private addictions, is very lonely, and has panic attacks frequently and agoraphobia to start coming, even if the small group offers the help that he needs? None of these objections, however, are unresolvable. He has great ideas and a great model. He thought of a system before small groups became church fads, but even though he tried to establish his very groundbreaking model, it didn't pan out. Rather than adapting, he's still holding to his initial plan. Obviously his model will eventually die out because of this inability to embrace change and adapt, but you have to respect him for his perseverance. With that being said, this book is great if your church doesn't have a real focus or you only have small groups because it seemed like the thing to do. You can easily adapt it for the years ahead yourself, or even just take smaller concepts of his methodology and create something that works for you where you are. Still, he has a kind of "my way is the only way to do it right" attitude. He's an ok writer and only occasionally has sentences that aren't worded well. The book isn't as good as it could be, regardless of whether you agree with his methodology or not. His main idea is for small groups not to DO occasional missional things, but instead to BE missional. He should have gotten more to the point, given more examples, and filled in more blanks. The key to getting people to get more connected in a church is to move them forward in a series of smaller choices, which is easier to make, and allows them to progress at their own level, rather than pushing too hard too soon. Boren's model is just too big of a commitment. This book is overly not very diplomatic either. Rather than having small groups that support the church, which demands that the church have a clear focus and move forward together, and then they would follow a more biblical and well-rounded model, Boren instead sees the small groups as more of the driving force of the church. More could be said, but you get the point. Definitely recommend it if you don't really know what you're doing or if you want to stop following dead repetition with what you're doing, but nothing here is for me. We have already made the decision about where and how to lead our church forward with what we think is the best model, and this doesn't fit our church's main thrust. Check it out for yourself. As I said, you can easily adapt it.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the words of the author, this book "serves as a basic music book for missional rhythms to help you get started on the journey of living and being a person who embodies missional community."

If you're interested in the idea of missional living or if you're slightly to greatly disillusioned by how church is generally done and you're looking for something different, this would be a good place to start.

[Josh L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to give this book 5 stars after reading part one, where Scott introduces four different types of small groups in America and the vision of what a healthy small group can look like. And then I read part two (the practical part), which bumped my rating down to three stars overall. Still an excellent read for anyone leading small groups, especially the first part :-)

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want a guidebook for small groups that is about impacting our world through small groups, this is your read.

[Andrew Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid book. I wondered how small groups could (if at all) fit within the “missional church” model, and Boren has helped cast a vision for just that.

[Nellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a challenging book on redefining our usual approach to small groups. The author defines four approaches to small groups. He does not rate any better than the other. He does believe that the current approach leaves many seekers still seeking.

He feels that the old model has to be changed along with our own expectations of what a small group should like.

We need to step out of the box in order to be more effective in our communities.

[Tim Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the most practical books on missional groups. M. Scott Boren explains the ins and outs of how a missional small group functions and operates. while reading, i could visualize how elements of the book could be utilized and practiced in my home church. the challenge will be casting such a vision. The Appendix's in the back particularly were helpful for me. I also grasped Boren's emphasis on training, equipping and freeing the leadership to lead such groups.

[Carl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, challenging read. At some point, I lost the point of the book and struggled to pick up the author's point again.

[Jeff Clifton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insights into doing small groups in an intentional way to impact a community. The section on simplicity, though heavily borrows/quotes from Richard Foster, is some of the best I've read on the subject. Some parts do get too much into psychology for my tastes.