Overview of Group Stages

This section will provide articles and tools that apply to where your church is on the pathway to a healthy, reproducing, small group ministry.

The first section, "Beginning a Group (0-6 months)," helps those responsible for the ministry to get some early success in getting things rolling. One key initial insight: if you try first to identify potential small group leaders, train them, and then launch them in small groups, your success may be greatly limited. Why? Because where are the leaders? They are either too busy, in an existing small group, or uninterested. Look for upcoming articles on how to launch an explosion of new leaders.

The section, "Becoming a Healthy Group (6-12 months)," is for churches with existing small group ministry—you've got a ministry, say, but it's not running as well as it could. Perhaps you're stuck on finding curriculum or creating a one-year plan. Or perhaps your small group ministry has become a place where every small group "does what is right in his own eyes." There's hope. Look for practical, helpful articles that can transform your ministry from "good enough" to dynamic.

The third section, "Building Leaders (12-24 months)," is just that. It provides more sophisticated ideas and training on building a small group leadership system. At the heart of every effective small group ministry is leadership development. Everything rises or falls on whether this is working well.

The final section, "Blessing Your Community (24+ months)," is all about passing along the blessing of God and helping others transform their community through community. As your small group ministry develops and transforms lives and your community, then the natural step is help others do the same.

You Get What You Expect

How to raise the committment of your new recruits

One of the biggest hang-ups new group leaders face is confusion about what is expected from them—from their personal behavior to their attitude about the group. By having potential leaders sign a form like the following, all expectations are voiced up front, allowing opportunity for discussion and avoiding many potential negative situations.

Reproduce this tool for each of your new leaders:

Leader Values

I will commit, to my best effort, in living an exemplary Christian lifestyle while supporting the Church's leadership and basic doctrinal statements.

I will commit to learning and growing through my daily time with the Father and other coaching/training opportunities provided by the Church.

I will commit to developing a co-leader/ host/facilitator (shared ownership)and Purpose Teams to cultivate a healthy and balanced group.

I will commit to including new members and releasing mature members to start new groups over time (6-18 months).

I will commit to seeking balance with both the Great Commandment and the Great Commission in my group (open chair and multiplication).

Leader:

Interviewing Leader:

Click here to download the above form in a reproducible Word document.