BigSmall Learning Community

BigSmall Learning Community

An online Learning Community for Pioneers and Planters to grow a culture of Spiritual Parenting and Missional Discipleship.

Some definitions.

The Japanese have a word (Ōkina ko) that translates as ‘BigSmall’. It denotes that something that is both small and big at the same time. This word captures the nature of the gospel and of how we can practically start to think and function in our calling and mission.

A False Dilemma – So many leaders are wrestling with the challenge of how to structure their communities; what vehicles to use in order to grow sustainably, and possibly even multiply and plant new churches. Because of resources we are often forced into asking ‘how much should I focus on small groups or should I pour my best time and resources into our larger Sunday gatherings?’ This is a false dilemma that fails to understand the missional genius of our relational spaces.

The Four Relational Spaces – BigSmall as about growing a holistic understanding of how to grow disciples in the four relational spaces in which Jesus operated and in which we all experience our relationships; the intimate, private, social and public spaces that people inhabit. Our challenge as leaders is about discerning the best vehicles, rhythms, frequency and focus of these spaces as we seek to fulfil the mission of Jesus in our context.

Our Journey is about integrating these spaces wisely to service one another as we grow disciples who can make disciples. The vocabulary we use will ultimately shape our outcomes. Our aim is to move you and your team from a group who grows communities to a team that is capable of multiplying communities.

Small groups that exist as a vehicle to serve or ‘prop up’ our larger gathering (real church) are hamstrung from the start and cannot produce mature disciples or lead to sustainable multiplication. If small groups are being used to maintain a Sunday service seen as the ‘real’ measure of health and growth you will require a culture shift journey, which will take time and patient investment.

Missional Communities are small churches within the church bearing their own missional vision and, done well, can lead to multiplication and potential church planting.

BigSmall If we can avoid the trap of making small groups an optional ‘add on’ but rather to imbue them with intrinsic value as a core vehicle for mission and multiplication, restoring the place of the home and extended family on mission, investing personally and wisely into leaders, then we will experience a harvest and the potential for movement multiplication.

Oikos  God is restoring the home, the ‘Oikos’ or extended family as the key vehicle of mission and church planting. Alan Hirsch points out that every seed has the potential to become a tree and that every tree has the potential to become a forest. This seed is the movemental potential of the gospel that is carried in every believer.

Microchurch planting  Have you got a church In you? Are you on a missional journey or wrestling with finding the appropriate vehicles for mission and discipleship for this season? We invite you to journey with others as we explore the big/small mindset. Come and share your vision of church and hear others explore BigSmall thinking together.

Come all you seekers, wrestlers, pioneers and planters and let’s learn together.