We live and move and function in the midst of a fallen world, but there is hope for a little slice of heaven right in our midst if we will pursue the model for community that God has given us in His word. The Bible portrays numerous instances where faithful, redemptive, small group community is created and promoted through the presence of the Holy Spirit. Much can be learned by looking into these scriptural examples. In this paper, examples of small group community will be viewed in three parts: the Old Testament examples of small group community; the New Testament examples of small group community where Christ was active, and the New Testament examples of small group community after Christ ascended into heaven.
             From the Book of Genesis we see the introduction of God not as a single entity, but as more than one, and that sets the stage for small group community relationships between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and His creation. One of our texts for this course represents this foundational establishment of community well, Biblical Foundations for Small Group Community, by Dr. Gareth Icenogle. Icenogle writes: "...the church has historically described God a Trinity, three persons in one...the creation account presents both divinity and humanity as communities of being and action. God is described as existing in divine community, in dialogue with other members of the God-self, an intracommunicating group who also created humanity to exist in group intracommunication." 1 Icenogle notes that the Old Testament doesn't present any specific theology of small group community, but it is evidenced in the tribal, marital, familial and community relationships.
             As God's creation, we were made for community. Men and women are not meant to exist in separate gender groups apart from each other-we are designed to complete each other in a covenant that God offers, where one man and one woman become one in marriage. Dr. Icenog...