| Pathway Beginning A Group Becoming a Healthy Group Building Leaders Blessing Your Community Overview of Group StagesThis 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. |
Transformation Takes Time
Our small group, like most small groups, is comprised of
people with varying degrees of Christian maturity. One lady arrived as a
spiritual seeker. Within time, she committed her life to Christ and was
baptized. . . .
Read More |
| When You Realize Numbers Don't Matter
Every time our church tried to launch a new small group
ministry, we failed. Things never turned out the way we hoped. For our fall
launch, we began planning five months in advance, which left us feeling like we
had things under control. . . .
Read More |
| "Dude, I Can't Shepherd a Small Group!"
Some of you have been leading groups for six years—hosting
is old hat for you. Some of you have been doing it for six months and may be
looking to become a better host. And some of you just completed your first
six-week study and, frankly, are still recovering from the experience. . . .
Read More |
| Why Small Groups Are a Big Deal
There is no simple solution to growing a healthy, balanced
body of believers. However, a thriving small group ministry may be one of the
best ways to fulfill the biblical purposes of the church—and solve many of the
issues of evangelism and stewardship that can confound pastors. . . .
Read More |
| A Simple Picture of Success
When I first joined the staff at Saddleback Church.
Rick told me he reserved seats for over 800 men on 7 different 747s headed to Washington, DC
for Promise Keepers. . . .
Read More |
| | From Dream to Reality
Most leaders who dream of "finding a shepherd for every
sheep" find themselves a bit lost when it comes to starting small groups.
You're not alone. . . .
Read More |
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The Coach's Course
What you need to know to lead leaders.
By Brett Eastman, Founder and CEO of Lifetogether, Inc.
Without a guy named John I wouldn't be where I am today. He was the coach of the first small group I led.
When my confidence was waning or I was tired of leading, he came
alongside me and said, "I believe you can do it." . .
Read More |
| Making Your Group Real "Friends"
7 principles for deepening small group relationships.
By Brett Eastman, Founder and CEO, Lifetogether
Don't we all long to be a part of something fun, exciting, and life-giving? The sitcom Friends captured this desire.
Every week 50 million people watched six actors pretending to have
relationships with one another. . .
Read More |
| Changing Lines into Circles
Sharing multiple sides of yourself with your small group.
by Randy Frazee
Lifestyles today make integrated and interdependent
relationships hard to create and maintain. The absence of this
interdependence makes us hunger for community. Most of us manage
"linear relationships." . .
Read More |
| Loving Sinners Is Messy But Necessary
Why small groups must confront sin.
When Allen first met Steve, they were in high school
gym together. Steve was quiet and insecure, with few friends. Then
Allen began to include Steve in his social life. At first their mutual
love for partying drew them together. . .
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| No Pain, No Spiritual Gain
Why we must open ourselves up to pain.
by Brett Eastman, CEO and Founder of Lifetogether
Nobody likes pain, and nobody likes to experience
pain alone. Even Christ, while hanging on the cross, asked God, "Why
have you forsaken me?" Yet God often uses it to trigger some of the
greatest life-giving moments. . .
Read More |
| From Clique to Community
Why your groups must step out of their boats.
by Brett Eastman, CEO and Founder of Lifetogether
You've seen them walk by. The "cooler than thou"
group. The group that everyone in the church wants to be a part of and
everyone outside of the church blames as the reason why they don't come. . .
Read More |
| A Purpose Beyond The Passion
Five ways your small groups can turn this movie into ministry
by Brett Eastman, CEO and Founder of Lifetogether
This Easter may be the biggest opportunity for small group ministry, yet. Mel Gibson's The Passion of The Christ grossed $23.6 million opening day. . .
Read More |
| Five Essentials for Small Group Health
How to keep your groups growing vibrantly
by R. Neighbor
Churches all over the nation are recognizing a need
to get small groups going in their congregations. As people sense a
desire for deeper relationships within the body of Christ, interest in
the movement is rising. . .
Read More |
| Healthy Members, Healthy Group
Take this assessment to see how your health measures up
If you want to have a healthy small group, it goes
without saying that its members need to be healthy. So a good way to
move yourself and your group toward well-being is by assessing each
individual's level of health. . .
Read More |
| | Stretch Your Faith Through Service
As Christ's disciples, we grow by doing something
that stretches our faith: taking time alone with God, giving, and
serving. As leaders, you need to nudge each person in you group to take
on a small service role to help them grow as Christ's disciples. . .
Read More |
| Leadership Honesty Breeds Group Honesty
MODEL
Here's a practical way to get your group to open up
The best thing you can do to encourage honesty in
your group is to be honest yourself. This doesn't mean spilling your
guts about your darkest secrets. . .
Read More |
| Creating Team Players
MOTIVATE
5 ways to get everyone committed to contributing to your group
When it comes to getting everyone to participate in
your small group, it's important that you—their leader—know your level
of openness is the primary factor in setting the tone for the group's
involvement and openness. . .
Read More |
| You Are Not Alone
MODEL
How help from God and group members takes the worry out of leading
There are few other tasks in the family of God that
surpass shepherding Jesus' flock—which is what you as a leader are
doing. . .
Read More |
| Divide, Connect and Grow
MOTIVATE
One great way to get your group to open up
One concern of nearly every small group leader is
how to get everyone to open up. This is especially problematic in
larger groups. If your group has more than seven people, here's a great
technique for encouraging sharing:
. .
Read More |
| The Authentic and Patient Leader
MODEL
Mastering these two qualities will make all the difference in your group's participation
Few traits describe a good group leader as effectively as "authentic" and "patient."
. .
Read More |
| Share the Load!
MODEL
Dividing responsibilities not only eases your leadership burden, it helps your group members grow
First Corinthians 12:7
says that God gives every believer spiritual gifts for the common good
of the body. . .
Read More |
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You Get What You ExpectHow to raise the committment of your new recruitsOne 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 ValuesI 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. |
Why churches everywhere are discovering the difference relational ministry can make
by Dan Lentz
It seems like small groups are popping up
everywhere. And churches that have a recognized small group ministry
are becoming more the standard than the exception. Why is that? What's
going on?
As director of smallgroups.com,
I have a lot of contact with churches that are neck deep in the small
group movement. My job revolves around helping pastors and small group
leaders keep their small groups active and healthy. So I get a lot of
feedback about what's driving the rise of small group ministry.
There are definitely many dynamics involved in the
small group movement, but I've noticed a common thread. And that is the
strong desire people have to experience genuine community. People are
seeing the need for a kind of community that's really missing in our
information age culture. There are a lot of broken lives and a lot of
dysfunction in traditional relationships and the family so the whole
idea of bringing a New Testament community back into the church is
something people see and feel they need.
I witnessed this phenomenon first hand in my own
church. As the church grew to a point where it was impossible to know
everyone, people began to feel disconnected. That's when someone
suggested we give small groups a try. Many responded with great
enthusiasm. It wasn't difficult to get people involved, but after a
while, the "honeymoon phase" wore off. Once the congregation got into
community with each other, they began to realize, "I liked you better
when I didn't know you as well." But just as in marriage, many soon
realized they needed to be committed to the building of community
whether they always liked it or not.
The interesting thing that happened through it all
was that in the process of getting people into small groups, a value
was raised up. People began to realize that relational ministry makes a
difference. And that kind of ministry is more than just showing up on
Sunday morning or doing nursery duty.
My church's experience is definitely not unique.
It's a common story I hear. As churches venture into small group
ministry, they uncover the richness of and the great need for genuine
relationships. What's more, many people begin to view their small
community as the heart and essence of what they feel church is like for
them. I think that's because many small groups are incorporating a lot
of elements of what the New Testament describes as church, especially
in the area of relationships with one another.
Building true community isn't always an easy
process. I learned that with my church family. But I believe it's what
followers of Christ are called to do—to live life together. That's the
model of the New Testament. And even if it is difficult, following
Christ is the most incredible thing we can do in life. But the deeper
we get into it, the more we have to rely on Him to do it.
Copyright © 2004 Lifetogether. |
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