Home Groups for Urban Cultures: Biblical Small Groups Ministry on Five Continents

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Dec 2000 by Alves, David C

Home Groups for Urban Cultures: Biblical Small Groups Ministry on Five Continents. By Mikel Neumann. Pasadena: William Carey Library, 1999, xxii 198 pp., n.p., paper.

This book is the result of Neumann's cross-cultural research of five churches spanning five continents. We are told in the introduction that motivation for the study came from his sixteen-year missionary career in Madagascar. Though Neumann and his wife saw some fruit in ministry, they felt a lack of real Christian community and this drove them to prayer. God directed them to meet with several couples in informal meetings; this became a home group. They stumbled upon an unexpected dimension: the structure facilitated both corporate and personal renewal. As a by-product of being the church in a home group, people were added to their number. Evangelism happened naturally as an outflow of community. This led them to an interest in the rapidly growing movement of churches with home ministry groups at the core of their growth and health (cell churches). This book came out of that experience and the questions that surround the way we are to be the church.

In this study of cases, Neumann looked for the common denominator to the growth and success in ministry of home groups. His thesis is that " . . . different cultures require different approaches" to small groups (p. xvii). Neumann sought to find the reason why models used in one context or culture did not work when transplanted to a different context or culture. He used three methods for gathering his data: personal participation, personal interview, and a questionnaire administered in the home groups. His theoretical framework included Biblical data, cultural concerns, and network analysis. He approached his qualitative case study making use of grounded theory, seeking to apply and assist others to apply what he discovered.

What he found amounts to eight correlative factors responsible for successful home group ministries. They are vision, structure, leadership development, teaching/discipleship, evangelism, prayer, caring, and worship. He also affirms that principles, not models, are transferable to different cultures.

The book reads like a user-friendly dissertation, technical yet full of examples and illustrations taken from each case. The author has structured it so that those who want to cut to the chase can read chapters one and three through eleven. Those who are more interested in cultural theory, network analysis and his statistical data can include chapter two and a section entitled "Questionnaire Evaluation" at the end of each subsequent chapter. Particularly helpful for both perspective and review is the section immediately following the "Questionnaire Evaluation" entitled "Key Points." These summaries will encourage both cell church practitioners and those transitioning into cell churches. The bibliography will be helpful for those seeking to further explore the growing movement among evangelicals to find a Biblical ecclesiology. Though otherwise helpful, the weakness of Neumann's bibliography is the omission of any of the new work in the field of church health.

Remarkably, Neumann has not mentioned Christian Schwarz's work Natural Church Development: Eight Quality Characteristics of a Healthy Church in either his text or bibliography. Schwarz conducted his study of 1000 churches across 32 countries to discover the supra-cultural principles of healthy churches. He found the following eight: empowering leadership, gift-oriented ministry, passionate spirituality, functional structures, inspiring worship service, holistic small groups, need-oriented evangelism, and loving relationships. The overlap in several of their factors is noteworthy. Maachia and Hemphill are not cited either. These weaknesses aside, Mikel Neumann's helpful book deserves a welcome place in the ever-expanding library of cell church resources.

Most helpful, Neumann's is the only research of which I am aware to be based upon research in network analysis. In his conclusion, he suggests a possible area for further study and partnership: "Home group ministries are largely a function of networks, and we need greater understanding of how networks function in society.... Christian scholars and workers could make a valuable contribution with a combination of solid biblical exegesis and network analysis" (p. 168).

Home Groups for Urban Cultures is a valuable contribution to missiology, practical theology and ecclesiology. Pastors will profit by reading the various approaches to the eight factors as well as from the practical examples included under each. Anyone planning to work in urban contexts or with international students will benefit from a study of his findings as well. I recommend to forward-looking departments of practical theology or ministry in seminaries, divinity schools and colleges to add this book to their required reading for missions, urban or church ministry, church growth/ health, and ecclesiology. Careful study and application of the principles drawn from Neumann's eight factors will repay the effort, especially to transitioning cell church leadership.