L2L Chapter 1: Discipleship in Community | LG Guide August 2026

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Aug 1

Chapter 1

Why Small Groups?

At Pearlside Church, our primary method for relational discipleship is our Small Groups. Jesus and the early Church demonstrated discipleship in the relational context of a Small Group of believers.

“Every day they [the Disciples] continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:46-47 NIV)

While worship and teaching can happen in a large assembly like a church service, true life change or discipleship happens best in a Small Group.

What happens in a Small Group?

Small Groups are places where people can belong and become more like Jesus through sermon-based discussions, where life is processed in the context of the Word.

Small Groups provide a space for disciples to grow in three spheres of relationships:

First, we grow in our up-reach as we connect upward with God through prayer and processing scripture.
We also grow in our in-reach as we connect inwardly with other believers through relational connections and honest discussion. This allows for greater heart transformation because studies show that change happens best through relationships, not rules.
Lastly, we grow in our outreach as we connect outwardly with non-Christians by praying for and connecting with people who are far from God but near to us.

The Goal of Small Group

Small Groups exist to reach the unreached, make disciples, train leaders, and in time, reproduce another Small Group. This is accomplished through intentionally reaching out to friends and loved ones, discipling them in Christ, and deliberately preparing for the birth of another Small Group. Reproducing groups creates more “lifeboats” for people to join, enabling us to reach more people with God’s love.

Small Group: A Healthy Space For Discipleship

Trust, which is essential for relationships to develop, takes time. Thus, consistency is key. Our Small Groups meet weekly to build trust, consistency, and intimate relationships.
The ideal meeting lasts an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes. In our busy world, we want to respect everyone’s time. Therefore, we start on time and end on time. Groups should officially begin and end at the set times, but fellowship can extend before and after the meeting as desired.
Small Groups center around the sermon-based Small Group discussion guide. The weekend sermon provides the frame for discussion, focusing on the Word of God and its application in our lives. Discussion guides are written so people can participate even if they did not hear the weekend sermon.
We want God to be central in our discussions. Every Small Group meeting should begin and end with a time of prayer.