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Church Leadership
February 23, 2021

How to Identify and Empower New Small Group Leaders

By Group Ministry

By Cheri Liefeld

As small group ministry leaders, we face one ongoing challenge: identifying and empowering the next group leader. Our work is to equip leaders who will equip other leaders. The Bible gives us many examples of leaders investing in others. Moses empowered Joshua to lead the Israelites into the promised land, and Jesus trained and empowered His disciples to lead His church after His ascension.

Paul cast the vision in 2 Timothy 2:2, where he wrote, “You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others” (NLT).

We want leaders with the passion and vision to equip others to become leaders. In small group orientation, reproducing leaders is one of the core principles we teach. Raising up new leaders will maximize our impact.

One of the best examples I have seen intentionally pursue this has been a group of young adult men. They started with one group, with the leader recruiting a co-leader. They identified two more young men launching a second group. A total of five Warriors of God groups launched in the last two years. One group has been led strategically by an 18-year-old with plans to teach and continue these groups. When another one of the leaders aged out, he launched a group for men in their 30s.

Each of us can do the same, equipping new leaders by following a simple path: Involve, Identify, Invite, and Invest.

Involve group members and encourage other leaders to do the same. The first step is to create opportunities for your group members to step up and play a part in leading the small group. When launching a new group, offer up various roles for people to play a part in the group. This creates a sense of ownership for the group while allowing you to see leadership potential.

Yes, it is more comfortable in the short term to do everything ourselves, but that doesn’t help us reach our goals to reproduce and equip leaders. Opportunities to involve others include asking someone to lead the discussion one evening, write up and email weekly prayer requests, or organize the group service project.

The next step is to Identify potential leaders. Paul told Timothy to invest in reliable people (2 Timothy 2:2). Look for several potential leaders. Reliability is a basic trait, but essential. Who is consistent and does what they say they will?

I have found two types of potential leaders. The first are natural-born leaders. They come from another church, are former youth group leaders, or leaders in their work field. They look for opportunities, sign up and start serving.

The other kind of potential leader is harder to spot at first but often turns out to be the best small group leader. They don’t think of themselves as leaders, yet they are quietly shepherding people along.

Pray and ask for God’s wisdom and guidance as you spend time thinking about potential leaders. Jesus was intentional in who He invested in. Create a list of why you feel they would make a great group leader. We give some basic guidelines for our leaders to consider in our orientation.

  • Do they love Jesus?
  • Do they have decent social skills?
  • Are they engaged and committed?

When I led a small group and felt called to replace myself, I told one woman I believed she would make a great leader. When we met, I shared what I saw in her—the extra time she invested in our small group members, how she took the lead in praying, and the initiative to plan social gatherings. She had the heart to help people take their next steps. In the end, she looked at me and firmly said, “No, I am not a leader.”

One of the best parts of leading groups is seeing how God works. I invited several potential leaders to join our first five-week Small Group Leader Prep group and included the woman from my group. She emailed back, replying no. The day before the group started, she called me and said, “I’m not a leader, but God told me I should attend, so I will.” The magic happened when other group members cheered her on and told her of the potential they saw in her.  She has been leading a small group ever since.

The best way to identify and empower future leaders is to speak life into people and watch how God waters those words. The outcome is out of our hands, but we need to be courageous and pursue potential leaders on an ongoing basis.

Once you have identified your potential leaders, invite them to join you. Invite them to coffee or to meet individually prior to your group meeting. Be specific; tell them why you are inviting them to be a leader.  Here are a few ways to share:

  • I love how you….
  • I appreciate how you..
  • I see you doing…
  • Your heart for _____ is evident when you….

Once they say “Yes” or “Maybe,” continue to Invest in them. Investing in our leaders is a journey, and each one will go at different speeds. Build a relationship and continue to invite them to take their next leadership steps. Ask them to co-lead your group allowing you to serve together and debrief each week.

Empower them by letting them take the lead and spend time providing feedback after. Ensure the training, encouragement, and support needed for them to grow as a leader. Listen and affirm where you see God working. Check in and see how things are going. We ask our coaches to check in monthly on their small group leaders.

A big part of investing in our leaders is to equip them. Invite them to your leadership events. Ask them to attend your orientation and start the process of becoming a small group leader. During your one-on-ones, challenge them to consider what steps God is calling them to take.

Who is God calling you to invest in? How can you build a path to maximize your impact and empower new leaders?

Cheri Liefeld is the Director of Small Groups at Eastside Community Church in Anaheim, California. She was previously Director of Women’s Ministry at Mariners Church. She is a writer and loves to gather people around the table. You can read more at adventuresinthekitchen.com.

Church Leadership
February 16, 2021

Why Martin Luther Didn’t Do Small Groups (And Why We Should)

By Group Ministry

by Jared Musgrove

If you ask Martin Luther what it would take to be a true community of faith in a local church, he would tell you that it takes the priesthood of all believers. That is, that all believers can read and understand Scripture’s plain meaning, that all believers have equal access to communion with God, and all believers are actively involved in the work of ministry. Said differently, there’s no special class of mediators for knowledge of God, presence of Christ, or ministry to others.

This is a doctrine he fought for years to reclaim in the Reformation, so he was certainly invested.

Then, if you asked Martin Luther (so kind of him to entertain all our questions) how the priesthood can be activated in a local church, he’d tell you through his tracts and letters that small groups meeting in homes are necessary to see the priesthood activated. He’d go on about how meeting in homes leads to deeper expression of some spiritual realities surrounding the priesthood of all believers; and these groups are best positioned to “do other Christian works” that are not possible in the institutional church meeting once a week.

But then Martin would admit to you (because he is an honest man) in later tracts and letters that he couldn’t go through with establishing such groups. It would be too costly in his estimation. He instead wanted (needed) everyone in Germany to come under one church organization and feared that small groups might create a lack of control.

Martin Luther thought small groups in homes were the way to truly activate the priesthood of all believers but he never started them. Yet, before we pile on Martin (and forget the debt we owe him), we should recognize that he was facing the exact same opposition that we often do: a lack of trust in God to make other brothers and sisters who Scripture calls them to be.

“Sounds Good In Theory…” 

One church leader recently shared with a group, “Yeah, priesthood of all believers sounds good in theory…” then pantomimed a verbal ellipsis with a shoulder shrug meant to imply that it doesn’t really work in practice. It doesn’t pan out. Hire staff to do the work. If you can pay them, you can fire them. Volunteers are messy—like farming. So mechanize the ministry. Yes, all of this can be said with a shrug.

I empathize with this line of thinking. I get it. But it’s also what keeps so many of our churches from seeing an empowered priesthood. Our first mistake may be that we too often talk about the “priesthood of the believer” (singular) instead of the biblical “priesthood of all believers” (plural). But it’s not about individuals. The community of saints is the consideration when it comes to church.

The biggest opposition that I see to the activation of the priesthood of all believers in my church and yours is that favorite idol of church leaders: control and comfort. Yes, these two form a singular idol. The two are so intertwined that it is nearly impossible in most cases to unravel them. The inner critic of the church leader who’s lived too many disappointments throws his soul’s hand in the air and gives in to the voice that says that “what you can control can’t hurt you.” And we listen far too often to that voice instead of God’s.

We are so committed to arranging a happy little church that suits our needs and comforts and caters to our gifts but God often thwarts those efforts by allowing for continued frustration. You feel it, right? That’s the loss of wonder. It happens because we want a climate-controlled church but also want to make an impact for God’s kingdom. That dichotomy can’t hold. It has devastating consequences when we try to carry it out.

For Luther, there was deep depression in realizing that he just couldn’t bring himself to release this kingdom of priests fully as he wanted. For some it may be a lack of joy in equipping saints. You may be unable to stand the saints altogether. You grow short with them. You find ways to avoid them. You figure it’d just be easier to run a company, a capital campaign, or a Christian non-profit. It probably would be.

Equipping the saints for the work of the ministry in a local church is agriculture. If you’re truly called to pastor and lead in the church, you’re running a farm, not a manufacturing plant. Live human beings and their souls are your sheep and soil. And there’s no chance of seeing lasting growth without an activated priesthood in your church. People are our true capital campaign. Flesh and blood human beings are our building program. The priesthood of all believers (plural) is both our occupation as well as our product.

Relationships of Trust Are Stronger Than Theory

The good news is that this priesthood already exists. It only has to be discovered, developed, and deployed throughout your church. It all comes down to trust.

Relationships of significant trust in the local church… who would’ve thought it possible? Apparently not many pastors and church leaders, from the Reformation up to today. This is understandable. There’s no pain like vocational ministry. But to give up trusting is far too cynical. And certainly not biblical.

1 Peter 2:9 speaks to the sleeping giant of frontline ministers that exists right now in church small groups: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

Since this is true, how do we lead like it? There’s a simple answer as old as the church herself.

Small groups are the best way to activate the priesthood of all believers in a local church. There has been over 2,000 years of practice, trust, and equipping saints for the work of ministry in such spaces. Luther saw it and defined it as such in his letters.

Entrusting the priesthood through groups discipleship might seem overwhelming. It did to Martin Luther. It feels unpredictable. Unknown. But isn’t that right where our faith is most tested and refined?

People in our church don’t exist so that paid staff can parade their gifts. They aren’t spectators. They’re priests ready to be set loose to reap a spiritual harvest. Oftentimes they do so just as well or better than the paid priests. That’s God’s design, not this year’s conference strategy.

Every time a small group meets, there exists that potential for harvest. People want to be changed and see change. Church leaders often simply don’t want the interpersonal rub required to see this through in their church. It’s risky, but I’m convinced that the less relational a church is the less transformational it will be. Small groups can still surprise unlike any other environment and be used by God’s Holy Spirit to transform lives for Christ.

Equipping and entrusting saints with one another has always been the best means of true growth and transformation in a local church. That’s the power in the local priesthood of believers meeting in small groups throughout the week. Martin Luther envisioned it. He didn’t activate it, but we can. This is a vision older even than the Reformation itself. And it’s far more effective in the history of God’s people.

 

**History courtesy of Joel Comiskey’s 2000 Years of Small Groups: A History of Cell Ministry in the Church and some of Martin Luther’s collected letters and tracts.

—

Dr. Jared Musgrove is Pastor for Leader Development and Groups at The Village Church in Flower Mound, TX. 

Group Leadership
February 4, 2021

CPR for Small Group Ministry

By Group Ministry

By Reid Smith

One of the greatest mistakes made by church leaders who want to reintroduce or reinvigorate a small group ministry is to make their first step an announcement from the pulpit. This well-intentioned step can have catastrophic results if those who had a less-than-favorable experience feel disregarded, retired leadership feel dismissed, and residual leadership (if any) feel disrespected. There is a critical pre-game plan that must be executed in private before going public. The life-saving practice of CPR offers a helpful pattern to follow.

When an unconscious or unresponsive person is being revived using CPR, it is vital for the person helping to follow the A-B-C steps for resuscitating another person:

  1. AIRWAY – Open the airway
  2. BREATHING – Breathe air into the opened airway
  3. CIRCULATION – Perform cycles of breaths & chest compressions to restore the victim

There are equivalents for each of these steps when it comes to restoring life to your small group ministry. As with actual CPR, it is very important to follow them in order. Many church leaders unknowingly engage these steps in the reverse order (C-B-A). This can have devastating consequences for the ministry at large.

The first step in CPR is to make sure the victim’s AIRWAY is clear from any obstructions. The one responding to the emergency is to look, listen, and feel for breathing. The parallel for those who are trying to resuscitate community life through small groups is to look for, listen to, and feel out your past, present, and future small group leadership. Conversation opens the airway.

AIRWAY – Learning from your past, present, and future small group leadership 

  1. PAST: Set-up conversations over coffee with those who were key leaders (e.g. coaches and long-term leaders) and significant voices of influence in the past and ask for their input. It is very important to do the following in each of your meetings:
    • Be sincere in expressing appreciation for their past involvement and inviting honest feedback. Then be humble and listen intently to what they tell you.
    • Be discerning about who is supportive of you and the attempt to restart the small group ministry. There will be some who express support but are not personally ready to take part in reintroducing a small group ministry…and that’s okay! 
    • Beware of those who do not seem to have anything positive to say and use their conversation with you to vent negativity. Thank them for their input and move on. It may do more harm to try to win these people over. Your goal is not to gain everyone’s acceptance and enthusiastic approval. Your goal is to get the RIGHT people on your team. Having the wrong people on your team obstructs the airway and renders the next two steps ineffective.

Have phone conversations with the other leaders and volunteers who were involved in the past for a shorter term. It is well worth your time to interface personally with every past leader and this effort on your part will mean a lot to them. Regardless of whether they are optimistic, ambivalent, or skeptical, you will learn a lot from these people even when they are not ready to jump on-board with the new effort. They will also likely appreciate the respect you have shown by initiating conversation and inviting feedback.

2.  PRESENT: Acknowledge those who are still involved. Commend them for their commitment and include them in your future planning. Ask them for their input as well by using the same tips above. Invite them to join you for a vision-casting experience that will include emerging small group leadership. Note: Where present leaders remain involved, it is important that you do NOT convey that you are starting something completely new to replace the past small group ministry. Rather, you are continuing to build upon the foundation of the biblical community the Lord has already established. This honors what God has done and may still be doing through these present leaders, and it shows respect for their continued loving service.

3.  FUTURE: Review your church’s master list of members with your senior pastor. Highlight the names of those who have been or are presently involved. Next highlight the names of those you and your senior pastor think are good prospective leaders. As before, arrange sit-down conversations with people you would like to invite into further responsibility.

    1. Whether you talk by phone or in person with prospective leaders, explain… 
      1. What you are presenting (tell them what their role looks like as a facilitator)
      2. Why they specifically came to mind as a potential small group leader
      3. What their group might look like and how it fits into the overarching vision of your church 
    2. Dream with them about possibilities and give them the freedom of choosing a focus they are excited about (we are all called to be community-builders!)
    3. Clearly communicate expectations
      1. Essential responsibilities
      2. Project the time commitment involved
      3. Suggest beginning with a shorter duration
      4. Request participation in a vision-casting event and initial training
    4. Clarify that you (or a coach) will be with them every step of the way
    5. Set a specific time to follow-up

BREATHING – Including all the leaders in a vision-casting experience

After you have opened the airway by carrying out your pre-game plan with the emerging leadership, the next step in resuscitating the small group ministry is to bring all those who have expressed openness to restarting the small group ministry together to cast fresh vision by communicating your church’s…

  1. Mission and core values
  2. Vision of how small groups will further your church’s mission by fueling the growth of biblical community
  3. History with small groups and what you have learned from earlier attempts (based on feedback you have received from a number of leaders)
  4. Belief in the importance of small groups and the benefits that come from them
  5. Current and projected need for small groups to ensure healthy church growth
  6. Renewed definition of a small group and support structure for the ministry
  7. Dream of what the new small group ministry looks like in action
  8. Ongoing plan for training, resourcing, and supporting your new community of leaders

The third step in CPR involves restoring breathing and sometimes even circulation to the unresponsive victim. Like people, small group ministries can have faint breath or no breath, irregular circulation or no pulse. Take heart! The Lord wants you and the community of your church to experience His resurrection life. Furthermore, He wants the community life of your church to explode out and impact your surrounding community. Jesus will build biblical community in your local church as He builds His Church!

CIRCULATION – Reintroducing small groups through public communication

One mistake leaders make when relaunching small group ministry is going public prematurely. Do not circumvent the process of securing and uniting your new community of leaders with the fresh vision that will undergird your new attempt. Your small group leadership community provides the necessary backbone to this church-wide initiative, especially when there is a history of unsatisfactory results. In other words, you need to have your team together before game time. This provides confidence for the whole congregation that the necessary groundwork of preparing a new small group leadership group has already been done.

When it comes to reintroducing small groups as a church-wide ministry, it is vital the senior pastor joins with the small group ministry staff (paid or not) in communicating the new vision. Earlier attempts at small group ministry that never really took root can oftentimes leave a bad aftertaste. Hearing the philosophical “why’s” directly from the senior pastor and the fresh, practical “how’s” from those leading the new effort can help to neutralize this distaste.

There are a couple of things the senior pastor should recognize: 1) The past attempt(s) and the leadership’s appreciation for all of those who were involved and 2) The new attempt and how it is different. As a continuation of explaining the why behind small groups it is also important for the senior pastor to communicate why the church values small groups, why they are so important to the church’s mission, and why it is vital for everyone to be involved. The communication of opportunities for people to connect into a small group may be done by the small group/discipleship pastor once the why foundation has been laid by the senior pastor. 

Another strategy that dissipates the bad aftertaste of earlier small group ministry short-comings is to talk about group life in the context of seasons or semesters. In other words, say “The first season of our small group ministry will look like such-and-such.” This lets the church know you are asking for a shorter-term commitment to begin with. It also affords you the flexibility to change tact from season-to-season in order to remain relevant for the ever-changing make-up and needs of your church community. 

The other advantage to doing this is it gives you a “new excuse” to talk about small groups in a big way two to three times per year. Regardless, a key principle to ensuring the success of restarting your church’s small group ministry is to keep groups in front of your people. Give your newly-fashioned small group ministry plenty of “face time.” Advertise new groups, highlight existing ones, encourage people to connect. Talk about groups regularly in front of the whole church. Doing so shows the value you place on them.

Restarting an unresponsive person’s circulation usually requires some cyclical repetition of breathing and chest compressions. Likewise, there can be some repetition to the application of this third step of CPR to restoring life to your small group ministry by feeding your emerging small group ministry fresh communication and different opportunities for people to connect. Stay creative in helping people to connect and grow together in Christ! Networking with other like-minded churches and sharing creative ideas and resources helps this process.

A person who is revived through CPR does not immediately spring back to their feet and take off running. Similarly, a small group ministry that has life restored to it needs to be nurtured and nursed back to full health over time. It requires careful and clear communication. It requires consistency in prayer and the promotion of small groups in your church’s weekend life. And it requires a united leadership front and an openness to new seasons of community life that connect with your church’s mission. If you follow the A-B-C steps for restoring life to your small group ministry, the odds are strongly in favor of revival and real impact on your surrounding community.

Reid Smith has been equipping leaders in churches of all sizes and stages of growth for effective disciple-making since 1996. He lives in Wellington, Florida where he serves as a Groups Pastor at Christ Fellowship. You can find more of his helpful resources at www.reidsmith.org.

 

Group Leadership
February 1, 2021

Leading My Group Through Seasons of Fear and Anxiety

By Group Ministry

By Tyler Quillet

2021 hasn’t changed too much from the 2020 that we experienced, has it? We continue to live with so many questions, so much heartache, and much trepidation. Between COVID and a heavily divided country, there’s a lot going on. So how do we respond to this in our group times and throughout the week as we engage with one another?

First, let’s address some of the fears that so many are facing:

  • Will I still have a job in six months?
  • Will I get COVID, and if so, what will happen to me?
  • What if one of my loved ones gets COVID?
  • What if the economy tanks?
  • I’m scared to go to _______ because I might get COVID.
  • How do I protect my family during this time?
  • What if the unrest in our nation gets worse?

This list could go on all day, but these are just a number of the questions that bring much fear and anxiety. Without a doubt, these are fears and anxieties that have set up shop in the minds of your group members. As leaders, friends, and those desiring to point people to Jesus, how do we help combat these thoughts alongside others?

Jesus spoke to this. He gives us HIS peace. While the world gives us fear, anxiety and trepidation, Jesus gives real peace. That doesn’t mean the circumstances change or there aren’t things that could go wrong, but it means that when we place our full trust in Him, His Spirit will overwhelm our hearts with HIS peace.

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.” 

-John 14:27

Not only does Jesus give us His peace, but He asks us to lay before Him all that burdens our hearts. And, as we do this, His peace will guard our hearts and minds.

Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 

-Philippians 4:6-7

So how do we lead our groups with this in mind?

If you are an open and transparent group, sharing your deepest fears and anxieties won’t be difficult. If transparency is a difficult thing for your group members, this is a good starting point. Ask each person to share their real fears or anxieties when it comes to all that we are dealing with in the world today. Allow tears, allow hard questions, and also allow silence or even a desire not to share. That’s ok. As group members share, stop, and “through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Spend time going to Jesus on behalf of your group members. Don’t take their fears lightly. While some of these concerns may not seem like something that’s worth being fearful about to you, it may be a deep anxiety that someone else is battling. Run to Jesus on their behalf and pray for them often.

Several years ago, my wife and I were about to embark on an incredibly scary journey. It was a life transition that we were unsure of and it brought us much fear of the unknown. As we shared our deepest fears with our small group, one of our other leaders asked if they could all stand around us and pray. They took our requests to God and we were SO overwhelmed by God’s peace. I’ll never forget that moment when my “people” took so seriously the fears we had that they immediately ran to Jesus with them on our behalf. And God was faithful to grant us His peace.

As you move forward in life while also feeling “stuck” in difficult times, give your group members opportunities to pour out their fears. As they do so, go to the throne on their behalf. Purpose to continue to check in on their hearts after your formal group time has ended. Be sure to also allow time in your group for praise in how God has overwhelmed your hearts with His peace. 

These are difficult days. Watch your group grow together as you share your fears, run to Jesus in trust, and praise Him for the peace of heart He gives. 

Tyler Quillet is the discipleship strategist for the Custom Church Resources team at Lifeway Christian Resources. He lives in the Nashville, Tenn. area with his incredible wife, Cathie, and two boys, Cylas and Bowen. Tyler also speaks, writes, and coaches alongside Cathie as they pour into and care for those battling infertility through Cathie’s, The Quillet Institute. Tyler previously spent 15 years as a pastor and is passionate about serving churches and pouring into church leaders in a variety of ways. 

Group Answers Podcast
January 27, 2021

Group Answers Episode 189: Jeff Martin on Leading a Volunteer Movement

By Group Ministry
https://media.blubrry.com/freebibleteaching/p/groupministry.lifeway.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2021/01/GA-189.mp3

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On this episode of Group Answers, Brian and Chris talk to Jeff Martin about his new book, Empower: The 4 Keys to Leading a Volunteer Movement. In “Empower,” Jeff drills in to four key principles that can unlock a volunteer-led movement. They were unearthed from an event he founded in 2004 called “Fields of Faith” that focused on giving ordinary people the microphone. It has impacted and united millions of people, thousands of volunteers, and countless community organizations. Each year, over 250,000 people gather on one night in communities across the country.

Questions

  • What prompted you to write this book?
  • Who did you write it for?
  • What are some common mistakes that leaders of volunteers make?
  • What is holding back most volunteer-based ministries and organizations?
  • Does your book have any implications in the Covid era?

The Group Answers 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 and discipleship expert in Lifeway’s Groups Ministry, and Chris Surratt, the small group and discipleship specialist at Lifeway and author of Leading Small Groups.

Group Answers Podcast
January 20, 2021

Group Answers Episode 188: Evan Owens on Mental Health

By Group Ministry
https://media.blubrry.com/freebibleteaching/p/groupministry.lifeway.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2021/01/GA-188.mp3

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On this episode of Group Answers, Brian and Chris check in again with Evan Owens about caring for people with mental health issues in our churches and groups. Evan currently serves as the Executive Director of REBOOT Recovery. He is certified in military ministry and has personally facilitated trauma recovery groups for over 350 combat veterans and military spouses. REBOOT is a non-profit that helps veterans, first responders and their loved ones to heal from the moral and spiritual wounds associated with service-related trauma.

Questions

  • This year has obviously been a difficult time for mental health. What are you seeing in your practice at Reboot?
  • First responders and frontline health workers have been especially hit hard this year. How are you helping them, and what can we do?
  • What are steps we should take to make sure we are staying healthy through all of this?
  • How can group leaders best take care of hurting group members as they start to regather in 2021?
  • What should a leader do if someone in their care is in crisis?

Resources

REBOOT Recovery

[If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You can also text a crisis counselor by messaging 741741.]

The Group Answers 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 and discipleship expert in Lifeway’s Groups Ministry, and Chris Surratt, the small group and discipleship specialist at Lifeway and author of Leading Small Groups.

Group Answers Podcast
January 13, 2021

Group Answers Episode 187: Leading in a Deeply Divided World

By Group Ministry
https://media.blubrry.com/freebibleteaching/p/groupministry.lifeway.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2021/01/GA-187.mp3

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On this episode of Group Answers, Chris talks to Will Johnston about how we navigate tough conversations in our groups, especially after the events of January 6.

Will Johnston is the Director of Build Community at Eastside Community Church in Anaheim, California. Will graduated from Wheaton College with a degree in theology, did a two-and-a-half year stint on Capitol Hill, and then joined the staff of National Community Church in Washington D.C., where he oversaw small groups.

The Group Answers 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 and discipleship expert in Lifeway’s Groups Ministry, and Chris Surratt, the small group and discipleship specialist at Lifeway and author of Leading Small Groups.

Group Leadership
January 11, 2021

Small Group Launch Checklist

By Group Ministry

By Reid Smith

Leaders launching new small groups want to have a strong start and welcome input on how to do so. Try offering just enough guidance so they know what to do BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER their first meeting without overwhelming them. This is an example of a resource you can customize to help small group leaders think through important steps so their new group can launch successfully and stay together for the long-haul.

BEFORE

1.Invite as many of your friends as you can think of…

◦Share your vision for the group—why you’re doing it and what you hope people will walk away with.

◦Try to describe the dynamic of the group and the people who will be a part of it.

◦Create an invitational ripple effect by having your friends and new group members invite their friends too.

2.Invite more people than you have room for (usually only one-half to two-thirds of those who confirm actually show up!). Start with as many people as possible at the beginning because there’s usually some attrition.

3.Tell people this will initially be a short-term experience that you’re confident they’ll love and then they’ll be able to decide if and in what way they’d like to continue.

4.Let them know there will be food…lots of good food! (If group members commit to bring food to the next meeting, this increases the likelihood they will return.)

5.Phone or text those interested a day or two before your first meeting.

6.Pray for your new group and those who plan to come!

7.Review any leader/host material and the upcoming study session in advance.

DURING

1.Welcome and introduce yourself (be relaxed, be real, and have FUN!).

2.Share a little background as to why you chose the focus of the group and tell them basically what each meeting will look like.

3.Allow time for people to introduce themselves and to share why your group stood out to them.

4.Acknowledge God’s Presence with you (Mt. 18:20) and share how you believe the Lord will use your new group experience to transform your lives. Depending on how many people are present who are not a part of your church, you can touch briefly on how your group will help to fulfill your church’s mission by living out the biblical purposes of God together.

5.Model authenticity and affirm each person’s input as you facilitate discussion.

6.Encourage participants to invite their friends, co-workers, neighbors, parents of their kids’ friends, and other unconnected people at your church to future meetings.

7.Close your group time in a brief prayer and get a picture.

AFTER

1.Let your Pastor or Coach know how everything went and how they can pray for you!

2.Follow-up with those who didn’t show up by calling them to let them know you missed them, how great the first meeting was, and also to remind them of when the next meeting is going to be.

3.Spread the word on social media with your photo and welcome people to join you.

4.Remind your new group members of your next meeting (and any food they might be bringing) a day or two beforehand.

5.Review the upcoming session and tailor the discussion questions based on who God has placed in your group.

6.Start pondering and praying about who you believe could co-lead with you and eventually launch out with their own small group.

7.Over time, share bite-size roles and responsibilities with your group members, see what people gravitate toward, and let them run with it! Rotate the facilitation of the study and discussion as well.

Reid Smith has been equipping leaders in churches of all sizes and stages of growth for effective disciple-making since 1996. He lives in Wellington, Florida where he serves as a Groups Pastor at Christ Fellowship. You can find more of his helpful resources at www.reidsmith.org.

Group Answers Podcast
January 6, 2021

Group Answers Episode 186: What We Learned About Groups and Community During This Pandemic

By Group Ministry
https://media.blubrry.com/freebibleteaching/p/groupministry.lifeway.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2021/01/GA-186.mp3

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On this episode of Group Answers, Chris and Brian catch up with three previous guests about the lessons they learned from doing groups in 2020, and how they are going to apply them in 2021.

 

Ashley Anderson Ashley Anderson is community groups leader at Church of the City in New York, New York.
Dave Enns Dave Enns is the pastor of life group ministries at North Coast Church in San Diego, California.
Jon Hughes Jon Hughes is adult ministries director at Community Christian Church in Chicago, Illinois.

The Group Answers 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 and discipleship expert in Lifeway’s Groups Ministry, and Chris Surratt, the small group and discipleship specialist at Lifeway and author of Leading Small Groups.

Group Leadership
January 4, 2021

Why I Joined My First Group and Why I Would Do It Again

By Group Ministry

By Cheri Liefeld

Five years ago, I both started and joined my first small group. I wanted friends at my church and desperately needed community. I felt alone in a big crowd, yet each week I ran out the door to my car instead of stopping to get to know other people.

I was going to join a small group until our church launched free-market groups based on interest. I discovered I could start a group based on two passions: being a foodie and my faith. In the weeks leading up to our launch, I worried no one else would share the same desire. To my surprise, six women showed up that first night. They were just like me, longing for connection. For most of them, it was also their first small group.

At the time, I didn’t realize how beneficial joining a small group would be. It ended up being the starting point for reengaging in ministry, deepening my relationship with Jesus, and making Eastside my home. Here are just a few of the reasons I would do it again.

  1. We crave community. Each week we gathered around the table for a meal, shared our lives, and talked about Jesus. I fell in love with small groups and saw the vital role they play in both the church and people’s lives. Most people don’t join a group and lead one, but many people in our churches feel isolated and feel like the community they see around them is escaping them. 

Owning a small business where I worked alone most days made it hard to meet people. Sitting around the table that first night, I realized how much I missed the community of other believers. The laughter and honest sharing around the table each week filled my soul. God did not create us to live life alone. When we come together each week, we find power in encouragement, conversation, and prayer.

  1. Accountability is key. Agreeing to be in a small group brings some much-needed accountability, in a good way. When someone is tired at the end of the day and wants to go home, a text saying, “Can’t wait to see you!” provides the extra motivation to attend. Making plans to sit together at church or worship nights also keeps people on track. Going through a study keeps us in the Word. We can wrestle over passages of Scripture together, allowing people space to work out what they believe.

In a group, we can challenge each other to rethink what is not working in our lives and the next step to bring about healthy change. Most of all, we point people to Jesus. The group is hopefully a safe place to express opinions and doubts. With a mix of love, encouragement, and truth, we can honestly look at ourselves and admit when we need help.

  1. We grow in Groups. One of my favorite things about joining a small group is watching others take the next step on their spiritual journey. I experienced this. My life improved spiritually, socially, and emotionally when I took that first step to join a small group. Each time we launch new groups, I hear stories from other people who experience the same thing. 

We encourage small group leaders to help people take their next step. They will introduce this idea to the group and ask them to pray about where God is calling them to grow spiritually. This exercise helps people intentionally pray and take their next steps. People start reading their Bible, they get baptized, and sometimes they launch a new small group.

When people are isolated, and without community, it’s easy to doubt their value and forget who they are in Christ. As a group, when we see someone’s gifting and encourage it, it’s life changing. As leaders, it is a privilege to encourage people to follow how they feel God is leading. When they nervously take that first step, we are there to cheer them on. My friend Jen kept saying she was not a leader to anyone who would listen. One day she responded to my invitation to join a leadership group saying, “God told me to, but I am not a leader!” Years later, she is still leading a small group of women.

Small groups are natural connections for discipleship to take place outside of small groups. One of our small groups of young women invited a few older women to come and share with their group. After those meetings, connections formed, which built one-on-one discipleship relationships. Mentor moms from our MOPS groups started a yearly 6-week discipleship class. In a church our size, these types of relationships wouldn’t have happened outside of the connections made in small groups.

  1. We long to belong. The first Sunday after our meeting, I ran into two of my new small group members. I found a reason to stay and talk, eventually met more people, and felt like I was part of something bigger. It’s funny how I had gone there for two years, sat in the same section, and had never seen any of them before. 

A sense of belonging is essential. Feeling like we are part of a bigger picture, being known, and valued breaks down walls.

With each new small group I launch, I witness the same phenomenon occur. Group participants are excited to recognize their new friends at a service and soon start making plans to sit together. Being in a small group creates that bridge to making the church feel like home.

  1. We have the opportunity to help others. Every time our group serves together, I am amazed at the depth of bonding that occurs. We want our groups to make a difference and ask that they serve together at least once a session. Coming together to help others is powerful. Small talk combined with the shared experience of serving and making a difference adds a layer to our friendship that doesn’t occur while sitting in a circle each week.

When we serve, we get to be part of God’s bigger plan. The opportunities to connect locally and globally crack open our hearts and help us discover passions God has placed within. We see the needs in our community.

  1. We need each other. Life is hard and messy. I started taking steps to get involved because I was caring for a parent and had a moment when I realized if anything happened, we didn’t know anyone at our church to turn to for comfort, support, and prayers.

The New Testament has numerous “one another” verses telling us how to care for others. How we care for each other is important to God.

We have the opportunity to care for one another, pray for one another, and celebrate with one another. Whether we are raising kids, caring for aging parents, or facing personal health or financial challenges, we will all find ourselves in need at some point. Small groups keep us from facing these issues on our own. Through our Group Me text chain, one of my group members will jump on and say, “I need prayer right now.” We stop and pray. We have seen the power of prayer and the impact that it has had on our friends and families.

I might have started my first group for personal reasons, but the group changed me. I will never tire of watching people join a group and find their place.

Cheri Liefeld is the Director of Small Groups at Eastside Community Church in Anaheim, California. She was previously Director of Women’s Ministry at Mariners Church. She is a writer and loves to gather people around the table. You can read more at adenturesinthekitchen.com.

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