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SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Rick speak with Ken Braddy, Manager of Adult Ongoing Bible Studies at LifeWay, about following up with visitors and guests after they attend church or a group meeting. Ken identifies five types of people group leaders should follow up with and offers some specific, practical advice for how group leaders can make these people feel important and valued so that they are likely to attend again. Ken also suggests some ways that these following-up practices can help churches stand out among other prospects that visitors and guests may be considering.
In addition, Rick and Brian discuss a blog post by Heather Zempel called Making Disciples … Not Hunting Them Down. Rick shares his list of What to Do When Just a Few People Show Up and offers some do’s and don’ts for handling this potentially awkward situation as a group leader.
The Groups Matter Podcast is a weekly show designed to resource, train, and encourage small group leaders. Each episode considers current trends and resources as well as timeless truths and methods of discipleship. It is hosted by Brian Daniel, a Bible study expert from the LifeWay Groups Ministry Team, and Rick Howerton, the discipleship and small group specialist at LifeWay and author of Countdown: Launching and Leading Transformational Groups.
GUEST: Ken Braddy is Manager of LifeWay’s Adult Ongoing Bible Studies and has served as an education pastor for 18 years, prior to his role at LifeWay. He leads a weekly Bible study at his church, blogs regularly on the topic of Sunday School and small groups, and co-authored the books 3 Roles For Guiding Groups and Teacher: Creating Conversational Community. He has written hundreds of leadership articles and trained group leaders across the country. Ken is a native Texan, loves tex-mex, and wishes he had his 1978 Camaro back. Follow him on his blog at kenbraddy.com.
EPISODE SPONSOR: This week’s episode is sponsored by SmallGroup.com. SmallGroup.com is an online subscription service that allows churches and group leaders to create customizable, sermon-based group bible studies. Visit the Groups Ministry blog for a quick how-to tutorial, or visit SmallGroup.com to begin your free 2-week preview.
RESOURCES: If you have a question you’d like discussed on our Groups Matter Podcast, please tweet your question to @BcDaniel or @RickHowerton.
My wife served in Grapevine Texas on the staff of the church Ken Braddy was serving just before he was hired by Lifeway. I taught a class of older adults at that church and can imagine I was there in the meeting for your session #18. I called my wife, Judy, into my office as the podcast was playing and set a trap for her to tell me whose voice that was who was talking. We left Grapevine in 2007, so she had not heard his voice in some 8 years.
We use Lifeway material in our church in Springfield, MO and I read Ken’s blog when it appears in my email. Thanks for the informative session.