How Small Groups Can Power Big Change
from YES! Magazine:
How Small Groups Can Power Big Change
Progressive social movements dont often take inspiration from conservative megachurches. But their lessons about organizational structure may be worth a second look.
by Sarah Byrnes
posted May 16, 2012
As a general rule, as communities grow, they lose social cohesion. There is a tricky tension between growing a group and a maintaining sense of personal belonging for members.
Like other voluntary associations, social movements struggle with this. But we can learn important lessons from the places that have figured it outeven from unlikely places like Saddleback megachurch in Orange County, CA.
Over 20,000 people attend Sunday worship at Saddleback, and yet members experience a strong, deep sense of belonging. Thats because Pastor Rick Warren has created a church out of a network of lots of little church cellsexclusive, tightly knit groups of six or seven who meet in one anothers homes during the week to worship and pray.
In other words, the secret is small groups. ..................(more)
The complete piece is at:
http://www.yesmagazine.org/blogs/common-security-clubs/how-small-grops-can-power-big-change