ll groups is functional. They are seen as part of a structure that serves a key function -- building community. Popular author and preacher Soo-Inn Tan posits that this often results in the small groups missing out on the most critical relationship, the one they should have with the risen Christ. While it is important to structure small-group meetings, it is more important to understand how all these practices relate to the fact that the risen Christ is in the midst of the meeting.