Oak Hill Baptist Church © 2008-2009

SMALL GROUP HISTORY

 

The Baptist General Conference has its roots in Scandinavia during the early 1700’s.  At that time and place, Christianity was practiced in State Churches.  The Clergy were paid by the state.  Spirituality was defined in terms of mental assent to creeds.  Worship practices were fairly uniform throughout the countries.

 

A new spiritual movement called pietism began sweeping Europe from its birthplace at the University of Halle in Germany.  Pietism emphasized an experiential practice of Christianity.  Personal Bible study, prayer, evangelism and the priesthood of the believers started to replace the more accepted forms of spirituality.  

 

At the center of this change were  small groups or home Bible study groups.  While not rejecting involvement in the church, small groups reflected a belief in the ability of each born-again believer to interpret the Bible and to contribute to the growth of other Christians.

 

Other issues surfaced in this pietistic climate.  Liturgical forms of worship, the power of the clergy, and baptismal regeneration of infants were among those practices rejected by the forefathers of the Baptist General Conference.  But the main issue was the superiority of the Bible over all human creeds and its value for spiritual growth.  “Vad sager Ordet?” (What saith the Scriptures?) was the rallying cry.

 

OAK  HILL PERSPECTIVE

 

The pietist view of spirituality is very much a part of Oak Hill Baptist Church.  During all of its existence there have been a variety of groups meeting for Bible study, prayer, evangelism, and mutual growth.  At times these groups have been organized on an informal basis.  Yet there have always been believers gathering to encourage one another in the faith.  Different names have been used over the years:

 

Clusters

Care Groups

Prayer meeting

Men’s study groups

Women’s study groups

Couple’s Bible studies

Youth Groups

 

We believe in corporate worship, a time when we all gather together to sing, to pray and to study God’s word. We believe in Sunday School, a more formal setting for learning spiritual truths.  But we also want to continue to challenge one another in our pietistic heritage toward small groups,  We are not apologetic about this challenge.  We think involvement in a small group is a very important part of Christian life and growth.  People from other backgrounds may define spirituality differently, but this is part of how we practice our faith.

 

In a small group the atmosphere is informal.  People are better able to get to know one another.  There is more opportunity for interaction, question-and-answer.  The pace of growth can be tailored to the need of the individual.

 

In a small group the emphasis is on learning together the basics of Christianity.  The participants are not expected to be great theologians or accomplished prayer warriors or candidates for sainthood.  The leader may be a trained pastor, but all leaders will have a perspective of patience.

 

In a small group there is great opportunity to work out the difficult parts of one’s Christian walk.  Over the weeks of meeting together, trust builds up.  Issues can be addressed that might be too personal for a larger group.  Prayer for one another leads the heart and mind in Biblical answers.

          

In a small group non-Christian friends can find a welcome place to explore their own spiritual journey.  Without pressure and judgment they can also ask questions, confess doubts, and be gently brought to Christ.

 

So we encourage you to try one of the small groups listed on the inside of this brochure.  If you find it not to be what you expected, no one will twist your arm to continue.  We think that you will rejoice in your spiritual growth.