Built for Connection: God’s Design for Growth Together

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart . . . Love your neighbor as yourself.” Mark 12:30-31 (NIV)

Small groups aren’t just beneficial—they’re biblical!

Jesus started his public ministry when he was 30 years old. The first thing he did was get baptized. And the second thing he did was start a small group; he went out and gathered 12 guys to be his small group. For the next three years, he traveled and ate and ministered with them.

Even Jesus needed a small group—and he was perfect! I need one even more than he did to make it in life.

Why? I need a small group because they’re relational.

That’s important because life is all about learning how to love. And I can’t love unless I build relationships. Small groups are the laboratory for learning relational skills. They’re a laboratory for learning how to love.

I can’t have a conversation with a crowd. But in a small group I can ask questions and share wisdom. In a small group I can pray in specific ways for others, get support, and share the ups and downs of life.

One of the problems in our culture today is that we live among strangers. People aren’t learning relational skills anymore. We don’t know how to make conversation—and worse, we sometimes don’t even try. Electric garage doors have made us all strangers! We don’t ever have to engage with or even meet our neighbors.

I'm not very good at relational skills because I don’t put myself in situations where I learn them.

Jesus said the most important thing in life is learning how to love, and it’s called the Great Commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart . . . Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31 NIV). That means the most important thing for me to do on earth is to learn relational skills—loving God and loving other people. And to do that, I must get to know people personally. 

I don’t have to know everybody in the church for it to be my church. But I do have to know somebody.

I need a few people who know when I get sick or when I leave the hospital, when I get a raise or when I get laid off, when I can’t pay a bill or when I need a ride to the airport. They know me. They celebrate with me. And they show up when I need them.

I learn to love others like that—like Jesus loves me—through a small group.

In summary:

Jesus modeled the importance of community by forming a small group of 12 disciples, showing that even He valued close, relational connections. Small groups aren’t just helpful—they’re essential for spiritual and personal growth because they provide the space to build genuine relationships, develop relational skills, and learn how to love others well. In a world where people often live in isolation, small groups give us a place to share life’s ups and downs, pray for one another, and practice the Great Commandment: loving God and loving others. True Christian maturity happens not in crowds, but in close connection with others who know, support, and walk beside me in life.

Bottom line:

To grow in faith and become the leader God designed me to be, I need to intentionally invest in authentic relationships—because true spiritual and personal growth happens in community, not isolation.

Next Steps:

I need to start or join a small, growth-centered group where authentic relationships, accountability, and shared learning can flourish. Whether it’s a leadership circle, faith-based mastermind, or coaching group, I need to surround myself with people who challenge, encourage, and walk with me as I live out my purpose and strengthen both my faith and leadership impact.