By: Pastor Joe Moore, Graduate Student, Liberty University Theological Seminary
Together, these authors paint a compelling picture of small groups as transformational communities where clarity of direction, openness to newcomers, meaningful relationships, and missional intentionality create the conditions for genuine spiritual formation. Within a biker-church setting, where authenticity, loyalty, and shared experience are especially valued, these principles offer a pathway for building groups that are both deeply relational and boldly missional.
Summary of House: Chapters 4–7
In Chapters 4–7 of Community: Taking Your Small Group off Life Support, Brad House develops a robust vision of Spirit-empowered community by calling the church to reset its expectations, what he describes as a “Control-Alt-Delete” moment for small groups.[1] Instead of reacting to problems or building groups around temporary needs, House urges leaders to form communities from a clear biblical vision, allowing convictions, not crises, to shape practice. When groups focus too narrowly on care or a single ministry objective, they stagnate as needs change; but when they begin with God’s design for community, they foster transformation at every stage of church life.[2]
House argues that community must be grounded in purpose rather than product. If groups aim merely at belonging, activity, or relational harmony, they may succeed while missing Jesus altogether.[3] Instead, the goal is discipleship, producing worshipers who exalt Christ. To accomplish this, House roots community in the Imago Dei, emphasizing that identity precedes activity: believers are image-bearers, worshipers, family, and missionaries because of what Christ has done, not because of what they accomplish.[4] Community groups, then, must reflect this corporate identity, living as a chosen race and royal priesthood who proclaim the excellencies of Christ together.[5]
A major shift House advocates is redefining community as a lifestyle rather than an event. Healthy groups prefer one another, share life beyond weekly meetings, and experience community as a life-giving blessing rather than an obligation.[6] Acts 2:42–47 provides the rhythms of such a Spirit-formed community: devoted Scripture study, confession and repentance, worship, prayer, hospitality, the exercise of spiritual gifts, and mission.[7] These practices are not rigid checklists but creative expressions of a gospel-centered people who gather around Jesus and encourage one another toward maturity.
Chapters 5–7 expand this framework into a missional approach, arguing that mission is often the most neglected element of community life.[8] House calls groups to embody the gospel incarnationally, entering the world as Jesus did rather than expecting unbelievers to come to church first.[9] He introduces the concept of increasing “gospel density” by saturating neighborhoods with outposts of Christian community, small groups that exist as visible witnesses of Jesus throughout the city.[10] Effective mission requires contextualization, communicating the gospel in a way that connects to a particular people, place, and culture without altering its truth.[11] Community groups are uniquely equipped to contextualize both at the neighborhood level and the personal level, allowing believers to reach their immediate relational networks with clarity and compassion.
In the end, these principles remind us that small groups thrive when leaders intentionally cultivate clarity, trust, and shared commitment. By grounding their ministry in biblical wisdom and practical structure, leaders create environments where spiritual growth becomes both expected and experienced. Ultimately, a well-crafted covenant does more than outline expectations—it shapes a community that reflects Christ and pursues His mission together.
Summary of Earley and Dempsey: Chapters 29-39
Earley and Dempsey emphasize that effective small group leadership begins with clarity of direction. As Yogi Berra famously quipped, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you might not get there,” a truth they echo when warning that unclear groups simply wander like Israel in the wilderness.[12] Healthy, multiplying groups begin by defining point A, where the group is now, and point B, a clear picture of where God is calling them to go.[13] The Verge principles reinforce this: vision must be simple, concrete, and compelling enough that every member can articulate and embody it. When leaders create clarity, they create movement.
A major theme in these chapters is the priority of open groups. Open groups intentionally welcome new people at any time, understanding that discipleship and evangelism are not two separate streams but one river.[14] This parallels Verge thinking: mission should be woven into the weekly rhythms of life, not added as a separate layer. Such groups embrace Jesus’ call to see the urgent harvest (John 4:35, King James Version, 2001) and Paul’s insistence that “now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). Open groups cultivate purpose, mission, and an outward posture rather than an inward holy huddle of “us four and no more.”[15] When a group knows where it’s going and remains open, “there is no stopping what you can accomplish.”[16] Verge adds that openness requires margin, relational availability, and the willingness to shift personal habits to make space for people far from God.
To move effectively from vision to reality, Earley and Dempsey introduce eight habits of a highly effective small group leader: dreaming, praying, inviting, contacting, preparing, mentoring an apprentice, planning fellowship, and personal growth.[17] These habits are simple, universal, doable, and catalytic habits that awaken the “sleeping giants” of ordinary believers.[18] Verge emphasizes that movements are built not on superstar leaders but on empowered everyday disciples who take simple steps of obedience. Dreaming big unlocks untapped potential: small groups can become spiritual hospitals, leadership incubators, evangelistic teams, and movement-multiplying engines, just as the Methodist revival began with a small group.[19]
Of these habits, prayer receives special emphasis. Prayer, they argue, is “Job One,” the single most important activity for multiplication.[20] Verge thinking aligns strongly here: prayer is the engine of movement, the posture that shifts a group from human effort to Spirit-empowered mission. Leaders who pray consistently see God move in ways human effort never could; prayer invites God to work where the leader cannot and becomes the greatest spiritual weapon against discouragement and spiritual attack.[21]
Chapters 33 – 39 develop practical habits: inviting, contacting, preparing, and partying. Inviting is essential; statistics show leaders must invite them broadly and consistently to see regular growth.[22] Verge reminds us that invitation is not an event, it is a lifestyle, a posture of everyday mission. People are most open to God during certain “seasons of the soul,” and wise leaders lean into these moments.[23] The “empty chair” principle keeps evangelistic urgency visible and prayerful.[24] Contacting members between meetings strengthens shepherding, reveals needs, and builds relational bridges that deepen community.[25] Preparation, spiritual, environmental, and logistical, is the quiet foundation of strong gatherings.[26] And finally, fellowship and parties matter profoundly: God Himself commanded joyful gatherings, and social events often double attendance and open doors for unchurched friends.[27] Verge adds that celebrations reinforce identity, strengthen relational glue, and create natural access points for new people.
Together, these chapters paint a compelling picture of what God can do through ordinary believers who practice extraordinary habits. When leaders dream big, pray hard, prepare well, invite boldly, shepherd intentionally, and celebrate joyfully, open groups become unstoppable avenues for making disciples who make disciples. In this vision, small groups are no longer just weekly meetings but dynamic, Spirit-led communities that multiply hope, deepen faith, and extend the mission of Christ into every corner of the church and neighborhood.
The Importance of Growing Small Groups
Growing a small group within a biker church context is essential because community is one of the most powerful discipleship tools available to believers who often come from rugged, independent backgrounds. Many bikers’ value freedom, loyalty, and authenticity, qualities that translate beautifully into small-group life when shepherded well. A thriving group gives new riders a place to belong, seasoned believers a place to lead, and the whole church a place to foster discipleship that feels real, relational, and non-religious. Growth is not just numerical; it is spiritual maturity, deeper trust, and increasing missional engagement.
The Verge article “Simple Ways to be Missional in Your Neighborhood,” emphasizes that groups grow when they stay outward-focused rather than becoming comfortable, closed circles.[28] For a biker-small group, this might mean intentionally inviting riding buddies to cookouts, group rides, or hangout nights where the atmosphere is low-pressure, but the relationships are warm. The Verge article “10 Simple Ways to be Missional in Your Community,” also stresses that groups must practice “missional living,” small, local, repeatable acts of service that build gospel presence in the community.[29] Biker groups are uniquely positioned for this, whether through charity rides, serving at a local shelter, or helping a neighbor with repairs.
Earley and Dempsey highlight several practices that directly support group growth in contexts like a biker church. They describe prayer as “Job One,” the foundational spiritual discipline that drives group multiplication and keeps leader’s dependent on God.[30] Consistent invitation of new people, described as inviting someone to visit the group weekly, ensures that the group remains outward-focused and relationally expansive.[31] Leaders are also encouraged to maintain regular contact with group members between meetings to deepen trust and provide pastoral care, which is especially effective in relationally tight-knit communities like a biker church.[32] Thoughtful preparation for each group meeting, spiritual, environmental, and logistical, ensures that gatherings remain meaningful and transformation-focused, even in informal settings such as rides or cookouts.[33]
Finally, Earley and Dempsey stress a multiplication mindset, training groups not just to maintain themselves but to raise new leaders and start new groups, a strategy that fits well with the mobility and relational networks common among bikers.[34] Jeffrey Arnold states, “Just as the early Church was blessed so that they carry God’s blessings to others, small groups are a significant means through which people can be brought to Christ.[35] Together, these principles provide a roadmap for biker-church small groups to grow authentically, missionally, and spiritually, creating a space where every rider is welcomed, challenged, and equipped to help someone else take their next step in faith.
Three Suggestions for Growing a Biker-Church Small Group
One suggestion would be Outward-Focused and Relationally Inviting. The goal of ministry is to deepen the gospel’s reach in our cities, focusing its impact where people naturally live and interact.[36] For a biker church, this could include inviting riding buddies to group rides, cookouts, or casual hangouts, creating low-pressure opportunities to build relationships and introduce them to Christ. Joel Comiskey infers this is “a chance for face-to-face interaction that will bring us in contact with people and a chance to practice community.”[37] Dempsey and Earley state “growing groups are here to reach out to the people who are not yet here.”[38] These are great illustration of living outward-focused and relationally inviting.
A second suggestion is to Prioritize Prayer and Spiritual Leadership. Leaders should regularly pray for new participants, open hearts, and divine opportunities for connection.[39] Earley and Dempsey emphasize that prayer is foundational for growth and multiplication, keeping leader’s dependent on God and guiding the group toward relational and spiritual effectiveness.[40] Putman and Harrington state that good leaders shift their focus from informing people to equipping people.[41]
The final suggestion is to Practice Missional and Relational Discipleship. Small, repeatable acts of service, like helping neighbors, charity rides, or volunteering locally, foster spiritual engagement and demonstrate the gospel in action. Encouraging members to disciple new believers one-on-one and invite friends aligns with Earley and Dempsey’s emphasis on relational evangelism and group multiplication.[42]
By putting these strategies into practice, a biker-church small group can experience authentic growth. Such a group fosters a community where riders feel genuinely welcomed and supported. Members are then both challenged and equipped to grow spiritually, individually and together.
Greatest Challenges to Growing a Small Group
One of the most significant challenges in growing a small group is dealing with the barriers, practical, cultural, and perceptual obstacles that keep people from experiencing gospel community. Practical barriers include issues of time, space, and accessibility that make engagement difficult.[43] Cultural barriers such as unfamiliar language or behaviors can make people feel alienated before they ever hear the gospel, while perceptual barriers, past hurts, stereotypes, or negative experiences with the church, shape how people view Jesus and community.[44]
Many small groups struggle because they operate as weekly events rather than communities that share life together. House argues that gospel-centered community cannot be contained in “a two-hour event once a week.”[45] Shifting to an opportunity-based rhythm, where the group sees itself as a people, not an event, requires leaders to rethink time, location, and the substance of gatherings.[46] This transition is challenging and requires patience and intentional leadership.
Another major challenge is opening relational space for neighbors and seekers who want to belong before they believe. House notes that people today often join a community and “test drive” it before embracing its values.[47] This requires small groups to cultivate hospitality, service, and participation spaces, not just fellowship, so nonbelievers can build trust without feeling pressure or bait-and-switch evangelism.[48] Balancing gospel intentionality with relational patience is a significant growth challenge.
Conclusion
Taken together, the teachings of House, Earley and Dempsey, and the Verge movement present a unified vision: small groups thrive when they cultivate biblical identity, intentional leadership, relational mission, and practical structures that empower ordinary believers. These principles are especially potent within a biker-church context, where community must be authentic, accessible, and outward-facing to engage riders who value freedom and relational honesty. By forming open groups, practicing daily mission, emphasizing prayer, and building environments where people can belong before they believe, leaders create space for real transformation. Ultimately, small groups become far more than weekly gatherings—they grow into dynamic communities where the gospel is lived, shared, and multiplied. When these elements work together, small groups can expand the church’s reach, deepen discipleship, and carry the mission of Christ into the everyday roads where riders live and thrive.
[1] Brad House, Community: Taking Your Small Group off Life Support (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2011), 88.
[2] Ibid., 87-89.
[3] House, Community, 89-90.
[4] Ibid., 91-93.
[5] Ibid., 94-96.
[6] Ibid., 96-98.
[7] Ibid., 91-93.
[8] House, Community, 105.
[9] Ibid., 105-106.
[10] Ibid., 106-107.
[11] Ibid., 107-109.
[12] Rod Dempsey and Dave Earley, Leading Healthy, Growing, Multiplying, Small Groups (Wordsearch, 2018), 111.
[13] Ibis., 111–112.
[14] Dempsey and Earley, Leading Healthy, Growing, Multiplying, Small Groups, 111.
[15] Ibid., 112.
[16] Ibid., 112.
[17] Ibid., 114.
[18] Ibid., 114-117.
[19] Dempsey and Earley, Leading Healthy, Growing, Multiplying, Small Groups, 117.
[20] Ibid., 119-120.
[21] Ibid., 120.
[22] Ibid., 122-123.
[23] Ibid., 124.
[24] Ibid., 126.
[25] Ibid., 130-132.
[26]Dempsey and Earley, Leading Healthy, Growing, Multiplying, Small Groups, 133-135.
[27] Ibid., 137-138.
[28] Verge, 25 Simple Ways to be Missional in Your Neighborhood, https://vergenetwork.org/25-simple-ways-to-be-missional-in-your-neighborhood/
[29] Verge, 10 Simple Ways to be Missional in Your Community, https://vergenetwork.org/10-simple-ways-to-be-missional-in-your-city-part-4/
[30] Dempsey and Earley, Leading Healthy, Growing, Multiplying, Small Groups, 119-120.
[31] Dempsey and Earley, Leading Healthy, Growing, Multiplying, Small Groups, 122-123.
[32] Ibid., 130-132.
[33] Ibid., 133-135.
[34] Ibid., 111-112.
[35] Jeffrey Arnold, The Big Book on Small Groups (Revised Edition) (InterVarsity Press, 2017), 202.
[37] Joel Comiskey, Biblical Foundations for the Cell-Based Church (Moreno Valley, CA: CCS Publishing, 2012), 160.
[38] Dempsey and Earley, Leading Healthy, Growing, Multiplying Small Groups, 112.
[40] Ibid., 119-120.
[41] Jim Putman, Bobby Harrington, and Robert E. Coleman, DiscipleShift: Five Steps that Help Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples (Grand Rapids: MI: Zondervan Reflective, 2013). 98.
[42] Dempsey and Earley, Leading Healthy, Growing, Multiplying Small Groups, 122-123.
[43] House, Community, 129.
[44] Ibid., 129
[45] House, Community, 148.
[46] Ibid., 149-150.
[47] Ibid., 132-133.
[48] Ibid., 134-137.
Bibliography
Arnold, Jeffrey. The Big Book on Small Groups, Revised Edition. InterVarsity Press, 2017, 202.
Comiskey, Joel. Biblical Foundations for the Cell-Based Church. Moreno Valley, CA: CCS Publishing, 2012. 160.
Dempsey, Rod, and Dave Earley. Leading Healthy, Growing, Multiplying Small Groups. Lynchburg, Va. Liberty University Press, 2016.
Dempsey, Rod, and Dave Earley. Discipleship Making Is . . .: How to Live the Great Commission with Passion and Confidence. Brentwood: B&H Academics, 2013..
House, Brad. Community: Taking Your Small Group off Life Support (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2011), 88.
Putman, Jim, Harrington, Bobby, and Coleman, Robert E. DiscipleShift: Five Steps that Help Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples. Grand Rapids: MI: Zondervan Reflective, 2013. 98.
Fighting for My Pea Patch 