The following piece was first written for the September 13, 2026 pew sheet at St Augustine’s Anglican Church. I share it here again in the hope that it may continue to encourage and bless.
One of the important actions identified in our Mission Action Plan is to develop a suitable model of small groups for St Augustine's. This is not simply about adding another activity to an already busy church calendar. Small groups have an important place in God's vision for his Church and in our calling to grow together as disciples of Jesus.
The Christian life was never intended to be lived alone. In the New Testament, believers gathered as the whole church, but they also shared life together in smaller communities. Acts tells us that the first Christians "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" (Acts 2:42). They worshipped together publicly and also met together in their homes.
Small groups have sometimes been described by the Latin expression ecclesiola in ecclesia – "a small church within the church." This does not mean that a small group is separate from the wider church. Rather, it is a smaller expression of our shared life in Christ: a place where we can study God's Word, pray together, encourage one another, share our joys and sorrows, care for one another, and participate together in God's mission.
Our vision for St Augustine's, therefore, is not simply to be a church that gathers faithfully on Sunday mornings – as important and central as our Sunday worship is. We also want to become a church where people gladly gather in small groups during the week to share life and faith together.
We want our small groups to be Christ-centred, Spirit-empowered, Biblically-grounded, prayerful, relational, discipling, outward-looking, missional and serving. We want them to be places where people grow in faith, discover and use their gifts, bear one another's burdens, welcome others and find practical ways to serve Christ and our community. As we begin developing this part of our Mission Action Plan, I invite you to pray with me: Where might God be calling me to belong, to grow and perhaps even to lead?
Let us pray:
Gracious God, you have called us to the fellowship of your Son, Jesus Christ, and made us members of his body, the Church. Help us to grow together in faith and love, to listen to your Word, pray for one another and encourage one another in following Christ. Guide us as we develop small groups at Augustine's, that they may be Christ-centred communities, growing in discipleship and committed to your mission and service; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Above image: Bunda Cliffs, South Australia. Courtesy of Landscape South Australia – Alinytjara Wilurara, Bunda Cliffs Landscape, licensed under CC BY 3.0 Australia.
