Someone once said that "personal transformation occurs in the context of a small group of people." Those of us with backgrounds in education, psychology, or sociology are familiar with the power of using cooperative (or collaborative) learning. (In fact, Lev Vygotsky's vision of social constructivism sees learning as always taking place in a social context.)

In church history (and contemporary society), there are examples too numerous to mention of house churches, cell groups, small groups, etc. There are distinctions between each of these types of groups, but generally, they all focus to some extent on the building of relationships as a part of a caring community. Learning, prayer, and worship are usually a part of these groups as well.

Although small groups may be unaffiliated with a larger organization (such as a church), most small groups are made up of people from the same church. Many churches provide some sort of supervisory role and training for small group facilitators.

For more on church history, visit:
Theology from A Bunch of Dead Guys