Review of Activate: An Entirely New Approach to Small Groups, by Nelson Searcy and Kerrick Thomas.

A quick glance on Amazon.com’s reader review section quickly assures you that Searcy (the founding pastor of New York’s The Journey Church) and Thomas’ (Journey’s teaching pastor) most recent book has lived up, at least for some, to its stated promise: To build a small-group ministry at your church with 100% participation.

Considering that many of our churches, Greenridge Baptist included, run small group ministries with a much lower adult participation rate, the ideals set forth by Activate are attractive. Is it possible, one asks, to really get to that point where everyone is plugged into a small group? The author’s subtitle and subsequent chapters answer our question. “It is possible,” they propose, “If you are willing to radically rethink the current paradigm of small groups.”

The “entirely new approach” they propose is definitely challenging. Several suggestions are offered, such as:

• Cancel all church programming except for your weekend service and small groups (Be a church of small groups not just a church with small groups)
• Remove the belief that small groups are life-long groupings where intimate relationships are fostered. Rather, focus on short term (12 week) groupings where casual friendships are developed.
• Stop relying on a “staff specialist” to oversee small groups and develop a “full staff” participation. (Any other “staff specialists” worried besides me?)

The redeeming message of the book is that the authors don’t leave you in the realms of an idealistic “wow…wouldn’t that be great” dream but offer concrete, specifics examples and instruction on how to implement their system. The book is enjoyable, is an easy read, and is guaranteed to motivate you to reevaluate how your church does (or does not) do small groups. I would recommend this book to anyone interested on the question of exactly how we are to fulfill the great commission. If it is through small groups…if…then Activate stands apart from the countless other small group books currently sitting on our shelves.

Brandon Turner is the Minister of Discipleship at Greenridge Baptist in Clarksburg, MD. The church currently has 31 small groups; some who meet throughout the week off campus and some who meet Sunday mornings on campus.