Bible study group
- Want to listen to a preacher
- Not makingany commitments
- Community is secondary
- No fellowship during the week
- Teachers want to demonstrate their theological knowledge
- Unbelievers are not invited or warmly welcomed
- These groups produce little to no fruit (numerical growth)
Elitist circle
- Only want to grow themselves in a closed and exclusive environment.
- However, real growth only happens when you have direct contact with the people around you and serve them.
Self-help group —strong in care, weak in discipline
- Plenty of time to listen to their own problems
- The goal is healing from emotional trauma
- Hoping for therapy through the group
- They want to get rid of their problems
- Similar to Alcoholics Anonymous
- These groups are very loving but fail to bring their members to Jesus
- The group quickly becomes a big trash can for worries, hurts, and problems, and when everyone dumps their burdens into it, the whole group soon sinks into depression.
- Patches of consolation are stuck on deep wounds, and questions such as "What is God trying to tell me through this situation, and what does He want to do?" are avoided.