Churches are not made up of bricks and stone, but rather of people who build others up. A church exists as a community of believers who help others follow Christ and grow in the love for other people.

That's why to build a healthy church, one must make the church smaller so as to allow people to experience community. It can be a challenge for a church that goes beyond the 100 attendance mark to maintain any kind of fellowship program without sucking church finances dry until the concept of small group discipleship came into the picture.

Rick Warren once said that "most people who have been a part of a group say the greatest benefit is the close relationships and friendships that develop." But in the same way small group discipleship can help build the church, it can also be harmful if not done the right way. Here are some small group mistakes that leaders should avoid.

Mistake #1. Making it a care group

Small groups exist to meet the spiritual needs of believers, but it's also there to challenge people to move to the next level in their walk with God. When running a small group, it's important to make sure that you're not making your members too comfortable. Yes, you can listen to their problems and pray for comfort upon those who are broken, but also take the time to challenge them to read their Bible, honour God with their finances and be an encouragement to their family and friends.

Mistake #2. Not empowering leaders

Small groups are also often fondly referred to as cell groups because they are meant to multiply the same way cells in a body do. It's crucial to church health and growth to raise leaders who will also lead small groups. When small group leaders are empowered to raise leaders, the Gospel gets more reach and the church grows faster.

Mistake #3. Coming late

Leaders should get out of the mindset that their members "owe them" because of the time and effort the leader puts in to their lives. It is a privilege and a delight to refresh others, and we must continue to serve our members. That starts by showing them how much you respect their time by never coming late.

Mistake #4. Doing all the talking

Small groups are effective because it allows for group discussions on deeper thoughts and topics of Christian living that cannot be discussed on the pulpit because of the lack of time. So as the leader, the goal is not to give the best message, but to draw out from your members spiritual truth that they ought to find out on their own.

Mistake #5. Not praying

Prayer is effective and mighty, but the reality is that the church pastor cannot pray for every member. The beauty however is that a group of church small group leaders can, and we must take the opportunity to do so. True power and transformation don't come when we are effective counsellors or advice givers. It comes when we are prayer warriors who battle in the spiritual for our small group members.

Mistake #6. Taking too long

When a meeting lasts hours, chances are people who have better use for long periods of time will never come back. The maximum time we can spend with a group is two hours. Anything beyond that and you'll have a group of people just looking at their watches.

Mistake #7. Being too spooky

Church small groups are not the avenue to cast out demons and bind things in heaven and earth, most especially if your group is composed on newly-converted believers. Take the time to do so in one-on-one counselling sessions with more mature believers who have been established on firm foundation.