ABF ebook New Version with new chapter (Chapter 10 -“Groups”) added to the book.
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The healthiest church ever…
…just may have been the small country where people knew each other and practiced the “one another” commands. Often there were 40-70 or 80 adults and sincere love and tangible care.
That’s a perfect size for a congregation.
ABFs are “congregations” within each church, organized for Bible study, vital fellowship, and outreach in that group that brings overall health and growth to the church.
- ABF strategy is about medium size
Some churches choose only “celebration” (worship services) and “cells” (small groups). This book si an argument for “congregation” (medium size groups of 20-90). This strategy includes all three for a church.
Many people, notably men, will not leap from the larger worship service (from 5 or 6 to 950,000 or so!) to the cell or small group (3 or 4 to 9). Many need the middle step, the medium group (20-90). Plus ABFs can provide man things the small group cannot provide.
- People with, limited time to give need a group.
Churches can ask people to join one group for Bible study, another for care, another service and maybe throw in some discipleship. The ABFs concept combines all that.
- Size determines mood and effect.
To an extent, at least. You can’t ask a large group to be candid or intimate or practice “one another” commands. “Congregation size” group can bring valuable assets to a church.
- ABFs are a great way to pastor more than 90.
They say one person can pastor only up to 90 people, and that most of us can know only 60-90 people, and that Jethro was right when he told Moses to divide the people into 50s (the first ABFs!) and 10s (small groups) .
This can work well.