According to our experience and learning and based upon the clear revelation in the New Testament, the proper group meetings should consist of two sections. The first section should include fellowship, intercession, mutual care, and shepherding, and the second section should carry out the perfecting of the saints through teaching. In the first section of the group meeting, the attendants should fellowship concerning each person’s present spiritual condition and practical environment. This fellowship should not be by only one or two persons. All the attendants should make their situations known to the others in each meeting. If a brother has become spiritually weak and is bothered by something, he should come to the group meeting and open himself to the other brothers and sisters. To open in this way is to be honest and faithful and to confront the enemy’s attack. In the group meetings we should fellowship about the things that concern our present situation. If we have no problems or needs of our own but know of the needs of others, we may fellowship something about their up-to-date situation. This may spontaneously burden some of the saints to pray for that situation.
The group meeting is eighty percent of the church life, and the church life is a life in the Body. In our physical body, it is impossible for a problem in one member to be hidden from all the other members. The circulation of life in our body carries the feeling in one member to all the members. Thus, we should not hide our problems from the other members in the church life. However, in the past we have often tried to hide our troubles from each other. We might have spoken about the world situation, but purposely concealed our own situation from the saints. This kind of practice has annulled the proper church life. When we acted in this way, we did not function as the members of the organic Body of Christ. Rather, we behaved as the members of a civic club. For the practice of the group meetings, we must first overcome this to have a real, genuine, practical, and thorough fellowship concerning each person’s current spiritual condition and practical situation. A proper group meeting does not depend on singing and praying in a formal, religious way. It depends on this kind of fellowship.
After fellowshipping about each other’s situations, the attendants in the meeting will spontaneously be stirred up to intercede, to pray, for one another. This prayer will not be formal or like a theatrical performance, but will be sincere and practical. After the fellowship and prayer, the attendants in the group meeting should extend their loving concern for one another in the exercise of a definite and practical care. After becoming aware of a brother’s practical situation, some saints in the meeting may consider whether the brother is in need of financial help or some other practical care. Then, after caring for a brother in this way, some may go to visit him. This is the practice of the practical shepherding.
I would say that this principle regarding the practice of the group meetings is “scientific.” As such, it cannot be changed. Everything in this universe is governed by a God-ordained law, a spontaneous principle. In order for the church to be fully built up, we must have proper group meetings, and for the group meetings in the practical church life, there is the need of fellowship, intercession, care, and shepherding. In this way, every member of the church, regardless of how large that church may be, will be taken care of. The way to care for every member of the church is by the proper group meetings.
Based on Hebrews 10:24-25, I believe that in the apostles’ time the church practiced the group meetings in this way. These verses say, “And let us consider one another for inciting to love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the custom with some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day drawing near.” In these verses there are three crucial words: consider,incite, and exhort. Verse 24 charges us to consider one another. The word consider is very meaningful. To consider one another implies to remember, to have a sincere, loving concern for one another. It implies that the saints are in our heart. This verse goes on to say that we should incite one another to love and good works. Good works here refers to giving something to others freely or doing something freely for others. To give a financial gift or to care for a sick brother is a good work. There is the need for many such good works in the Body. We need to incite one another unto love and unto this kind of good work. Verse 25 also says that we are to exhort one another. Considering one another, inciting one another, and exhorting one another cannot be accomplished in the big meetings. They can be carried out only in the small group meetings.