Sunday worship attendance is approximately 600 adults. There are 28 Community Groups with 257 adult members.
Background
The origins of Central Peninsula Church trace back to 1965 when six Palo Alto families commuting to Peninsula Bible Church desired to have a ministry closer to home. They were encouraged by Ray Stedman and the church leadership to meet together as a home Bible study on Sunday nights. With assistance from PBC's staff, the group grew and in 1967 called a pastor and began holding Sunday morning services.
They met in numerous locations until they began to build at their permanent location in Foster City in the early 1970s. Those early years cemented one of CPC's values that the church does not consist of a building but of people. The church is located on a two plus acre site in a suburban area on the peninsula south of San Francisco. It is influenced by the pace of life and economics of nearby "Silicon Valley". Construction of a 600-seat auditorium was completed in the fall of 2001 and marks the final facility addition permitted at the site.
CPC's Purpose Statement is "To make disciples of Christ who worship God's person, obey God's Word, love God's people and share God's grace". It is led by a group of elders and has chosen not to establish a formal membership. Instead, it recognizes a personal relationship with Christ (inclusion in His "universal" church) and "commitment" to CPC's local family of believers, to be in harmony with the practice of the early church.
CPC's focus and style of ministry is guided by its six Core Values: (1) "Relevant expository teaching of the Scripture…", (2) "Commitment to a small group…", (3) "The ministry of the church is to be carried out by all believers…", (4) "Worship should be focused on heartfelt response to the unchanging God…", (5) "The church should be a place where lost, hurting, and broken people are free to be authentic…", and (6) "The church should be led by a group of mature elders…". (See the full statement of Core Values at www.cpcfc.org)
As mentioned in the Core Values, small groups have been an emphasis of CPC from its inception. They have been seen as the means to build healthy family relationships, spiritual maturity, and ministry effectiveness. Throughout its thirty-five plus years the small group ministry has seen different styles and methods, depending on the pastor providing oversight. A large percentage of the church's adults have consistently participated in a small group. Currently over 40% are involved in Community Groups. With the addition of the small group activities of other ministries (women's, men's, and recovery), the estimated percentage would easily be in excess of 70% to 80%.
The vision and Leadership Environment
Pastors and elders are leaders in a variety of small groups: couples, mixed (open to everyone), specialty, discipleship, and ministry teams. They use a variety of formats and styles. This involvement models to the body the priority and importance of regularly meeting with others in small groups to build relationships and develop spiritual maturity.
Beyond personal leadership, small groups are promoted in all adult ministries (women's, men's, recovery) as part of building community among participants and to build and maintain effective ministry teams. The small group activities in these ministries are lead by the pastors overseeing them and the purpose, style, and methods vary from pastor to pastor.
Different pastoral positions have had oversight of the small group ministry in the past. In 2001, a Pastor of Small Group Ministries position was established to emphasize and promote the priority of building community among the church body. This position is also responsible for delivering several all-church and community special events. The Community Group ministry has recently established the goal of creating "Value Focused" groups to build consistent purpose and quality into the experience of each group and member.
Initially, as part of the preparation process, Leaders are required to attend a two night "Leader and Member Orientation" (training) lasting a total of five hours. The basic purpose, strategy, and skills needed to lead an effective and fulfilling small group are presented. Additionally, Leaders are expected to attend four "Leader's Forums" throughout the year. At these Forums, they receive training focused on the tensions and solutions presented in Walking The Small Group Tightrope by Bill Donahue and Russ Robinson. Forums are informal, focus on hands-on practical strategies and skills, and always include food and opportunities to build relationships that promote a "ministry team" attitude.
Almost every Leader has a designated "Coach". Coaches are experienced Leaders who are recruited and trained to provide regular support and encouragement to a few designated group leaders. They are the front line of care and guidance for Leaders. Through one-on-one meetings, group huddles, and group visitations, Coaches build relationships with their leaders and assist with problem solving and by prayer. Coaches provide ongoing support, in addition to training, consultations, and visits provided by the Pastor of Small Groups.
Two social events are offered during the annual Community Group season (September through May). At the beginning of the season, an evening "Thanks To You Dessert" for Leaders and spouses is offered. At the conclusion of the season, a Sunday afternoon "Cause For Celebration Picnic" for the Leader and their whole family is presented. Both of these events are intended to build a sense of community among the leaders and to express appreciation for their (and their family's) commitment and sacrifice.
What happens in your church's small groups?
The major emphasis of past small group ministry formats was to promote biblical knowledge leading to spiritual maturity. A secondary emphasis was the building of relationships. Although not totally neglected, outreach and service received less attention. Closed groups with minimal emphasis on impacting their neighborhoods, were the result. These groups tended to elevate the "pursuit of Bible study" to a level that sometimes overshadowed the "pursuit of life change and service" revealed by their study. Putting into practice what was learned and giving back to others did not always receive equal consideration.
The current "value focused" strategy is an effort to restore a sense of responsibility for keeping groups open and for extending the group's purpose and influence beyond the group meeting and its members. The goal is to see the maturity gained by serious study of God's Word put into practice through caring for and serving the church family and the surrounding community. This strategy advances the individual member's sense of ownership of and responsibility to the group. It moves members from a "consumer" mentality to a "servant" (producer) mindset. It will encourage groups to remain open to new members as God directs and to develop new leaders in preparation to split and birth new groups.
What has been done to grow the involvement of people in Christian Community?
Twice each "season", a three-week Sunday "group formation" event called "A Taste of CPC" is presented to promote and encourage participation in a small group. Tables display all the groups available for interested participants to join. They are encouraged to explore and talk with the Leaders present from each group. They have the opportunity to register for a group on the spot. Prior to the initiation of the "Taste" events, one or two people formed groups each fall by assigning interested individuals to various groups. These groups were, basically, closed to new members after that time. The opportunity to register and join an "open" group (a group whose "host home" still has room to add members) continues throughout the year at the Community Group Information table, available each Sunday.
To fill the three-month gap (June to August) between Community Group "seasons" a "Summer Fellowship Group" has been implemented and has grown each year. This opportunity begins as a large group meeting for worship and sharing and then breaks into smaller groups for the actual Bible study and discussion time. This program provides a break for the regular "season" leaders while it continues to offer the opportunity for believers to make friends and study God's Word. It has also been helpful in giving newly trained Leaders a supervised and guided experience to develop their skills and confidence for the coming "season".
The "Value Focused" strategy is now being articulated and implemented in the whole ministry. This involves Leaders understanding and being trained to help their members live out CPC's six Core Values through their group. In God's provision and timing, each group is encouraged to identify members who can serve in one of the "Champion" roles. There is no performance standard or expectations placed on the Leader or the group members. The "values" to be championed are: (1) Teaching (Leading), (2) Friendship, (3) Service, (4) Praise, (5) Outreach, and (5) Care. The collective (6) "team" of the Leader(s) and Champions reflect the last Core value. (See the abbreviated Core Values in "Background" section of this case study).
What has happened as a result of what has been done?
The "Taste of CPC" events have provided visibility and prominence for the ministry and emphasized the benefits of participation in a small group. The Sunday "Information" table allows for the ongoing promotion. Also, the "Information" table has become the place to ask questions about and to pursue interest in leadership opportunities.
The Summer Fellowship Group has been a definite success. It has provided a break and rest for Leaders to recharge for the coming "season". It has also provided an opportunity to extend the preparation of future leaders. We have been able to experiment with different techniques, curriculums, and formats. Many "seasonal" group members have joined just to meet people outside of their normal circle of friends.
The "Value Focused" strategy stimulates the thinking of Leaders. They are opening up to sharing and developing leadership. As each member pursues entry-level leadership opportunities, they are seeing how God wants to use them to benefit the group. With time and encouragement to grow, God will determine the level and extent of the leadership potential of each member.
By providing Forums (training) more frequently and for shorter amounts of time, we have seen greater participation and interaction. It has also been helpful to include a Coaches' "huddle" time as part of the Forum. Providing food and setting aside time for sharing at each training opportunity has helped build a sense of unity and purpose.
One unfortunate practice of most groups is the long established habit of meeting every two weeks instead of weekly. This has been a hard habit to break. It has hindered the ability to build relationships and fosters an "if I can make it…I'll get to the meeting" attitude. This reinforces the view that a small group is merely a means to Bible study. It dismisses the need to build relationships and the accountability they provide. Time pressures in this area are real but leaders will continue to be encouraged to move to a weekly meeting format.
One missed opportunity occurred at the completion of the final building addition. I had just arrived at the church but, if more time had been available, I would have used the momentum of moving into the new auditorium to launch a new direction and emphasis for small groups.
Lessons learned
CPC's small group ministry is ever evolving. While good progress has been made in establishing the importance and benefit of small group participation to the individual member and the church at large, new challenges arise. Within CPC's various ministries, differing goals and formats for small groups are promoted. With limited time, individuals normally choose to participate in only one ministry. Therefore, they receive a different small group experiences, depending on the ministry they choose. While competition is healthy, the goal here is not for one ministry to win out over another but for each member in every small group to receive a "winning" experience. To accomplish this goal, more coordination between the ministries is needed. Only then will we be able to ensure that every small group participant, regardless of the ministry they participate in, will experience the benefit and added value a small group experience should provide.
