Digging Deeper – The Forerunner to the Modern Small Group

In yesterday’s devotional on the origins of the Pietist movement, we mentioned one of its leading figures—Philipp Jakob Spener. Spener is important for at least two reasons: (1) he is credited as the father of the modern small-group movement, and (2) his 1675 book, Pia Desideria (“Pious Desires”), is regarded as the defining text of the movement.

Spener was a pastor who oversaw the ministerium in Frankfurt during the latter half of the 1600s. Upon his arrival in the prominent German city, he was shocked by the spiritual condition of its churches and longed to see genuine, heartfelt reform. As a result, he began organizing small groups (called collegia pietatis, or “gatherings of piety”), where committed laypeople met with clergy twice a week to discuss the sermon, study the Scriptures, and pray together. In his own words, he wrote, “It would perhaps not be inexpedient (and I set this down for further and more mature reflection) to reintroduce the ancient and apostolic kind of church meetings.”

It is important for the modern reader to understand that, at the time, such gatherings were considered a controversial innovation. For example, during Queen Elizabeth I’s reign in sixteenth-century England, the Anglican Church outlawed and persecuted religious gatherings (called conventicles) that took place outside the Established Church. Even in Spener’s own city of Frankfurt, the collegia pietatis were viewed with suspicion and criticized by the institutional church. Nevertheless, these groups gave rise to a movement of “heart Christianity.” Their followers came to be known as Pietists because of their devotion to Christ and their pursuit of personal holiness. Their legacy is still evident today whenever believers gather in homes during the week for small groups or Bible studies.

Spener’s other major contribution to Christian history was the publication of Pia Desideria in 1675. In it, he challenged the dead orthodoxy of his day by proposing six principles for church renewal:

1. A more extensive use of the Word of God—not only in the gathered church but also in small groups throughout the week.
2. The priesthood of all believers—ministry should not be reserved exclusively for ordained clergy but shared by all God’s people.
3. An emphasis on practice over mere knowledge—Christian truth should be lived, not simply learned.
4. Truth is not established through theological disputes but through repentance and holy living.
5. Clergy should actually be Christians. (There’s a novel idea!)
6. Sermons should edify the church rather than showcase the pastor’s learning.

In many ways, Spener’s message can be summarized in a single phrase: wholehearted devotion to God. As believers embraced these principles, the Holy Spirit began transforming the hearts of men and women, and what many historians have called a “Second Reformation” began to unfold. Practices that were once viewed as unconventional—such as small groups meeting in homes—eventually became a normal and vital part of the Christian life for countless believers around the world.