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Praying Daily for the Unchurched and Unaffiliated

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Friends were asked to finish the statement “my day is not complete unless I…” Here are a few of the responses: get a large coffee, floss (this is the friend I worry the most about), eat an apple, check the weather, check social media, get a text or call from (name), workout, eat dessert, make someone smile, and read one Bible verse. Nothing inherently wrong or strange with the actions on the list, with the exception of flossing. 

If a person had asked Arthur Flake this question, his response would have been to pray daily for a lost person by name with the hope to share the gospel with them specifically. Flake greatly impacted the growth of ongoing BIble study groups (what he knew as Sunday School) in the first half of the 1900s. He called on Sunday School teachers to pray every day for the lost people their groups were trying to reach. 

Why Daily? There is a part of me that wonders why we don’t pray every day for people who are lost. We may pray every day for a friend going through a valley season until he or she emerges, so why does that garner our attention more often than a person’s salvation? The needs of these friends are real and pressing but so too is a person’s eternal destiny. Praying daily reminds us of the importance of salvation and of our responsibility to share with others. If sharing Christ is a daily activity, then praying for those with whom we will share should be a daily activity as well. 

Why By Name? Names are important. When we hear a name, images of people with that name immediately flash in our minds. The simple mention of a name can cause us to smile, grimace, or feel other emotions. That name creates an identity that goes beyond a casual glance. Praying for a person by name also moves us beyond casual prayer. How many times have we prayed for “all the missionaries in the world” without a single face or name flashing through our minds? There is just something about praying for someone by name. We become connected to that person in a different way. Compassion, empathy, and urgency come as a result of praying for a specific person.

Why for the opportunity to share with them? Too many times, we find ourselves asking God to send someone to share Jesus with a family member or neighbor with the understanding that He will send anyone other than us. He may very well send someone else to share with the person for whom we are praying, but He may also be preparing us to have that conversation. 

What would happen if we began to see praying for lost people as a daily necessity? How would that impact the Bible study groups we lead? 

For more on this subject, take a look at Dwayne’s book It Begins with Prayer, releasing Dec. 1, 2019. You can download a free PDF at lifeway.com/trainingresources. 

Praying Daily for the Unchurched and Unaffiliated

Dwayne McCrary is a project team leader for ongoing adult Bible study resources at LifeWay, including the adult Explore the Bible resources. He also teaches an adult group and preschool group every Sunday in the church he attends, and serves as an adjunct at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. 
Church Leadership

10 Ways to Optimize Small Group Bible Study

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by Reid Smith

As a small group leader, there are things that you can do in your preparation for your gatherings that can optimize the impact of God’s Word on people’s lives (Hebrews 4:12). These practices will actually help your group members get the most out of your Bible study together and become more responsive to the transformational work of the Holy Spirit in their lives:

1. Pray for it – Give each gathering over to Jesus. Pray for each group member by name. Ask for specific break-throughs and invite the Holy Spirit to have His way.

2. Preview it – It is well worth taking 15-minutes before each meeting to…

  • Read the key passages in at least two different translations (bible.com or biblegateway.com)
  • Refer to cross-references and commentaries to give yourself a good feel of the context.
  • Review the questions that are a part of the study you are using and select ones you sense your group will grab onto the best. 
  • Reduce the volume of material given by 50%. This helps the group time feel more relaxed and more focused, which increases overall participation.
  • Rephrase the questions you decide to use in ways you think will spark further dialogue. Restating the same question in different ways helps some people formulate their thoughts.

3. Facilitate it – Don’t get into ‘teaching mode’ or feel like you have to have all the answers. You want your group’s Bible study to be a peer-to-peer learning experience where every person’s insight and personality influences the discussion. Here are some reusable questions that can enliven the dynamic of any discussion:

    • What stands out to you in this passage? What impacted you during the reading?
    • Was there something read that is new for you, reaffirming, confusing or challenging?
    • How can we apply this to our lives today?
    • How could this be shared with people who do not yet know Christ?
    • Be patient with moments of silence. If nobody shares after a few seconds, put the question in another way. Here are a few other facilitation tips that will help to accelerate spiritual conversations: 1) Be ready to answer questions briefly and naturally if nobody initiates after giving a prolonged pause 2) People think primarily in pictures so try to portray a topic visually by applying questions to personal stories or hypothetical situations 3) Provide guardrails to keep the discussion on track so you don’t drift too far off topic. 

 

4. Include them – When people feel included, they feel like they belong. When people feel like they belong, they want to engage. When people are engaged, they grow. Time may not allow for every person to participate in the way they would like, but you can help them feel more included by…

    • Giving each person a purpose to fulfill in the group that corresponds with their gifting and passion – start them off with small tasks that have a shorter-term commitment.
    • Circling back to people who have not shared, but looked like they were on the verge of saying something.
    • Make eye-contact with those who share, acknowledging their input with simple affirmations like, “Thanks for sharing” or “Good insight,” and then try to relate it back to the passage being studied or keep the momentum going by inviting others to add their thoughts.
    • Expressing your love for them, e.g. “I’m so glad you’re a part of our group!” Simple acknowledgements go a very long way in boosting people’s sense of belonging, which optimizes group Bible study in the future.

5. Open up – Not enough can be said about the importance of authenticity. This is essential to healthy leadership and Bible studies. The more open you are, the more open others will be. You make the group feel safe when you are real and it frees people up to be themselves, which is the kind of community everyone wants.

6. Listen up – One of the best ways you can love on the people in your group is to listen to them. This will probably mean you lay aside your own interests, agenda, or things you would like to say. Give people your full attention and reflect back to them that you understand by nodding or putting what they said into your own words to make sure you heard them correctly. When people see that others are being heard, they will feel more secure about opening up and sharing things on their heart. 

7. Lighten up – People tend to be more reserved when there is a serious edge to the study. A light-hearted atmosphere actually encourages more involvement. If you have fun with it all, others will too.

8. Wrap-up – Summarize what happened in your group and give a teaser for what’s next before you end your group on time.

9. Follow-up – If somebody asks a question or shares a personal prayer need during your group study, be sure to follow-up with them. Also, don’t hesitate to contact people who said they were going to be at your Bible study, but were not. Let them know they were missed and see if there is anything they need. 

10. Offer up – The way a group stays healthy in the long-run and goes deeper in their Bible study is by letting the grace of God flow outward. He wants to use our Christ-centered community to engage the world, not insulate ourselves from it (Acts 2:47; Rom 1:16, 10:14-15). God always makes room for the lost so expand your group circle as much as possible (Luke 15). He will provide the time and space for additional members if our hearts are seeking to extend His grace to those who have yet to come home. Practically-speaking, you can offer up your group by…

    • Turning your group’s attention to lost people during your time of discussion and prayer. 
    • Telling members that you would LOVE for them to invite people they know to your group.
    • Thinking together about how your group can share God’s grace with spiritually empty people.
    • Traveling to locations beyond the home where you meet, e.g. hold your study in a public space or go on a mission trip together.
    • Transitioning your group into new seasons of study by empowering people to look after different aspects of your group’s life together or handing off more responsibility to a person who could co-lead with you. This will prepare your group to multiply so that more people can be impacted by the love and message of Jesus Christ.

You know you’ve been successful at optimizing your small group’s Bible study if your group members love more: Love God more, love people more, love the lost more, and love Scripture more!

Reid Smith has been equipping leaders in churches of all sizes and stages of growth for effective disciple-making since 1996. He currently serves as a Pastor of Groups at Christ Fellowship in Palm Beach County, FL and has been a contributing author for various publications, including LifeWay’s Ministry Grid. Learn more about how to start and multiply healthy groups throughout your church at www.reidsmith.org.

 

Church Leadership

The Signposts of a Growing Disciple – Part 3

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What does a mature disciple of Christ look like? Over the past decade LifeWay Research has delved into this with thousands of pastors and church leaders. Culling through the data, we discovered that strong discipleship ministries and practices could be put in eight categories. We call these eight categories the signposts along the discipleship pathway. One sign of growing disciples is that they serve God and others.

Serving others is a good thing. Even those with no connection to the Christian faith will tell you that. Even if they don’t know it’s a biblical principle, people will teach their children it is better to give than to receive. (See Acts 20:35.) Multiple studies even validate this.

  • Those who volunteer are 42% more likely to be happy. 
  • Those who give to charity are 43% more likely to be happy.
  • Those who put the needs of others before their own experienced a “warm glow.” (communitywestfoundation.org). 

The varied studies share something in common: the focus is on feeling good about ourselves. We serve in order to be happy.

Is that why Jesus served? Jesus certainly didn’t need a boost to His self-esteem. He served because He loves. He had compassion on the people and sought to meet their needs (Matt. 9:36). He told His disciples, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

The goal of a maturing disciple is to become more and more like Jesus. Jesus loves others, and we are to love others. Jesus served others, and we are to serve others. 

Our service to Christ and others is carried out in three ways.

  • Use your spiritual gift. The Holy Spirit has gifted every believer with at least one spiritual gift. We don’t all have the same gifts, but corporately, all the gifts are present in the church. Those gifts are for serving the needs of the church. “Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others” (1 Pet. 4:10).

Many people are eager to take a spiritual gifts inventory so they can know where to serve. Frankly, that’s not necessary. Just step in and serve. As we get involved, we find our hearts drawn to certain forms of service more than others. That’s an indication of where your giftedness lies. Embrace that.

  • Share your finances and resources. Maturing disciples understand they are only managers of their finances and physical resources. God owns it all. We don’t hoard money and possessions, but we are to willing share what we can to serve and meet the needs of others.
  • Seize the moment. We can’t meet every need, but when an opportunity is right in front of us to serve someone else, we take it. Much of our service is structured and planned—giving regularly and working weekly in a specific ministry—but there is a spontaneous side to serving as well. We have unplanned “intersections” with people every day, and maturing disciples are sensitive to the Spirit’s nudge to step in and help.

Ways the Church Can Foster Believers Who Serve God

  • Publicize minister opportunities. For many church members, serving means singing, preaching, or teaching. Those are valid ways to serve, but they are not the only ways. Don’t make a specific announcement like “We need two people to help with the youth group;” it may be answered by people who are not a good fit. Instead offer a ministry fair. Give each ministry outlet in the church a table and display area. Let church members mill around and learn of ministries they may not be familiar with. People who can’t sing, teach, or preach will discover other service opportunities. Consequently, as individuals express interest in an area, you can counsel, encourage, and train them as needed to serve in that area.
  • Model service. The best training for service doesn’t come from a manual; it comes from observing. As a church leader, you can’t be deeply involved in every ministry around the church, and the church family already sees you as a servant; but you can strengthen the service of others by letting them walk along side you as you serve in the ways you are gifted. For example if you are gifted in administration, encourage others with the same gifting. Let them see how your administrative work is both service to others and to Christ.
  • Encourage Mentoring. Ask others serving in different ministry areas to find someone whom they see as a good candidate for the same area of service. Challenge them to serve as mentors, helping others see their own potential. They can train them and bolster their skills. An obvious example is for every Bible study leader to adopt another person and show them the ropes of leading a group. The leader not only gains someone to help with the group, but when the church needs to launch a new group, a servant is trained and ready to step in.

Serving others can be hard. It can often be inconvenient. And maturing disciples serve whether they experience a nice warm feeling or not. They serve because they’re drawn to serve out of love—love for Christ and love for those He has placed in their path. And better than any nice warm feeling will be to one day hear those words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matt. 25:21).

We’d love to hear from you. What are some ways your church is helping believers serve?

Lynn Pryor (@lynnpryor) is a team leader in LifeWay’s ongoing adult Bible study department. He also serves as an interim pastor in the Nashville area. Read more from his blog at lynnhpryor.com.

 

Church Leadership

Give ‘em Jesus!

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by Tyler Quillet

In my years as a pastor, my co-worker and dear friend, Nate, would always give me one last bit of encouragement before I spoke or taught God’s word. Whether it be a sermon, a funeral, a class, or any other speaking opportunity, he’d end our time by saying, “Give ‘em Jesus!” It was like breaking the huddle in football, in a way, with that final encouragement and reminder to go and do exactly what we’ve been called to do.

Unfortunately, we all need that reminder. It’s unfortunate because we often forget to give ‘em Jesus. As those who teach God’s word, lead small groups, and disciple other believers, we can often get in God’s way, making our talk or discussion more about ourselves, our ideas, or our agenda. It’s oftentimes not on purpose, but it is a regular habit that we fail to simply give them God’s truth because we have so much stuff we want them to hear.

Here are a few ways that we can better “Give ‘em Jesus” when we are leading, teaching, or simply having a Gospel conversation instead of leading with or supporting truth with our opinions or agendas.

  • Lead with scriptural truth.

Be sure that your focus is on God’s word and not just what you think about what God’s word is trying to say. Make God’s word the foundation of everything you teach.

  • Back up scripture with more scripture.

As you unpack God’s word, be sure to do so by supporting the main text with more scripture. It’s easy to allow yourself to trail off with opinions instead of focusing on the word itself.

  • Don’t use personal illustrations that prop you up or make you look good.

When you need to tell a story to help teach the text, use one that props someone else up, but always make sure that it supports the text and brings them back to the truth you just read in scripture. Don’t let any illustrations take away from the scripture.

  • Magnify Jesus at every opportunity.

This is a given, but always keep this at the forefront of your mind as you teach. You are God’s mouthpiece, whatever context it is that you are teaching in. Make much of Jesus and take every opportunity you have to point your audience or group to Him.

As a group leader or discipler, it is easy for those you are leading to rely too heavily on you. Making your time in the word with these people about you will eventually lead them to believe that it’s you that gives them truth, you that brings them comfort, you that has the answers, and you that they go to for help. Your job as a leader, as a teacher, and as a discipler is to point them to Jesus at every opportunity.

Going back to the beginning, it’s easy for us to get in the way. It’s easy to make much of ourselves. It’s easy to push our opinions or agendas, sometimes without even thinking about it. So, we all need the simple reminder each and every time we have an opportunity to share God’s word with others: “Give ‘em Jesus!”

Tyler Quillet is the Discipleship Strategist for the Custom Bible Study team at LifeWay Christian Resources. He lives in the Nashville, TN 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 love on the infertile community through Cathie’s “The Missing Peace Project”. Tyler previously spent 15 years as a pastor and is passionate about serving churches and pouring into church leaders in a variety of ways. 

 

Church Leadership

Happy Reformation Day: Here I Stand, I Can Do No Other

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It doesn’t matter what “brand” of Christian you are—October 31st is the anniversary of an event that impacts your church’s theology and background. And it’s impacted you.

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther, in an act of frustration over the way the Roman Catholic Church had veered off course, nailed a document—95 Theses, to be exact—to the front door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.

With a hammer and nail, Luther struck the first blow that would grow into the Protestant Reformation. Luther (and those who joined him) did not initially set out to be the 16th-century version of the church hopper. He set out to reform the church (hence, the term “reformation”) and bring it back to the foundation of God’s Word.

Martin Luther was a Catholic monk who saw the Bible for what it is: the Word of God and, therefore, our ultimate authority. He also saw in this ultimate authority the clear teaching that salvation is through faith in Christ alone. Over the centuries, the church veered from these two central truths, placing more faith and authority in the institution of the church. So Luther called the church back to its roots: the centrality of Christ and the authority of His Word.

But to do that, Luther had to “call the church on the carpet” for its errors—and that did not set well with the church leaders. So four years later, Luther was called before the Diet of Worms. (To be clear, this is not one of those sketchy weight-loss programs involving tapeworms. A “diet” was a formal hearing, and it was held in the city of Worms.) The purpose of this hearing was to get Luther to recant, but he was fully committed to obedience to the Word of God. He said:

“I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God.”

What are you fully committed to? What calls you to say, “Here I stand, I can do no other?” Would you nail that commitment to the door?

Conviction and commitment should be second nature for the follower of Christ. Commitment to Christ should be so ingrained in us that we don’t think twice about whether we will be obedient to Him. We don’t have to think twice about whether or not we will compromise our convictions—or look the other way “just this one time.”

  • God’s Word does not change—and neither should our conviction to follow it.
  • God’s Holy Spirit does not abandon us—and neither should we abandon our dependence upon Him.
  • God’s love and grace does not fluctuate—and neither should our display of His love and grace to others.

Is your commitment to Christ nailed down? And is it on display for others to see?

This post was re-purposed with permission from lynnhpryor.com. Lynn Pryor is a team leader for adult resources at LifeWay. He and his wife, Mary, lead a Bible study group for young adults and have survived raising two sons to adulthood. A graduate of Southwestern Seminary, Lynn has previously pastored and served churches in Texas. Read more from his blog at lynnhpryor.com.

Church Leadership

What is Missing in Community?

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Defining community usually includes a list of actions. The following list represents a summary of the more common actions included:  

  • Shared experiences
  • Sharing experiences
  • Studying together
  • Planning and doing together (usually a missional project). 

Most experts point to transformation as the goal of these actions, explaining that spiritual transformation takes place as individuals engage with a group in these actions. Most of us can see how these actions contribute to spiritual growth in some way.

This list begs the question of the role prayer should play in building community. Granted, prayer may be assumed in the actions and if it is, then why does it get relegated to a background action? 

Relationships cannot be forced. I taught a men’s class several years ago that had a class rule of no parties. When we were forming the group, the original men present made it clear that if they wanted to spend an hour or more with someone outside the group time, they would have already invited that person to lunch. In the two years I taught that class, we never had a party. But we were not disconnected from each other. Some sat by each other at sporting events, others played golf together every Friday afternoon, and others met for lunch on Tuesdays. They were not mean to each other; they just had their own subgroups that formed. Here’s the key take away; they found a way through prayer to create a larger sense of community in spite of the subgroups. 

This experience makes me think that prayer might be more important when it comes to community than getting together as a group for social events. Whether we like it or not, we have subgroups within our groups now. They sit near each other every time the group meets. If we tell the group to find a partner during group time, they always seem to find a way to be together. When we have an event, they hang out with each other. We need to be comfortable with this, knowing that relationships happen and we can’t (nor should we) try to control them. What we can do is make them work for us. We can make prayer the link between the subgroups. We can also encourage these subgroups to include prayer in their nonparties. We must avoid the trap of relegating prayer to an assumed role, elevating it to an identified essential element in the building of community. 

How might prayer partners impact the sense of community found in your Bible study group?


For more on this subject, take a look at Dwayne’s book It Begins with Prayer, releasing Dec. 1, 2019. You can download a free PDF at lifeway.com/trainingresources. 
Dwayne McCrary is a project team leader for ongoing adult Bible study resources at LifeWay, including the adult Explore the Bible resources. He also teaches an adult group and preschool group every Sunday in the church he attends, and serves as an adjunct at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. 
Church Leadership

Discover the Secret Ingredient to a Successful Sunday School

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by Bruce Raley

So what makes for a successful Sunday School? For more than 30 years, I have trained, spoken and written on this topic. I have addressed the need for solid Bible study. I have trained leaders on the need for organization within the groups. I have written about the need for groups and leaders to reproduce. I still believe all of these are important … even crucial.

But perhaps there are a few secret ingredients to success. In fact, a group might do all of the actions above and still find that something is missing.

Maybe there is a need to just lighten up. There … I said it. Just smile. And laugh. Express joy.

I have been in Sunday School groups that are just way too uptight. The leader is too serious. The members all have stern looks on their faces from the time they enter until the time they leave. In fact, they carry that seriousness straight into the worship service, and probably on to the restaurant afterwards.

Wonder why guests might not come back a second time? Wonder why some people choose to join another group? Wonder why some just quit attending?

Proverbs 15:13 says “A joyful heart makes a face cheerful.” We should come together with joyful hearts. And if we have joyful hearts, it shows on our faces and in our countenance.

Certainly there are times when the group is solemn, addressing serious needs or topics. But there should also be abundant times when the group is laughing, smiling and enjoying being together as they study God’s Word.

1. It makes for an enjoyable experience.

So much of life today is intense. Many people work in difficult environments. Family and financial stress are found among many. Pressures of life push from every direction at times. So couldn’t your Sunday School group be a time when people enjoy being together and find encouragement and strength in God’s Word? Even in studying difficult passages and discussing serious topics, we find our Lord Jesus and the hope found in the gospel. That should make us joyful!

2. It makes the session memorable.

Ecclesiastes 3:4 says there is a time to laugh. Let’s be honest. How many of us can remember our study topic from two weeks ago? Even as a teacher, I have a difficult time remembering. But I do remember those present and whether we enjoyed the time together. I remember the session lasted longer than scheduled because we were all engaged. I do remember I enjoyed being there.

3. It brings people together.

We want to be around people who are full of joy. We want to gather with those who encourage us. We want to join together with people who enjoy life.

So loosen up. This Sunday … laugh, smile, and enjoy your time together!

Bruce Raley serves as Executive Pastor of First Baptist Church, Hendersonville, TN. A native of Hot Springs, AR, he previously served as Director of Church Partnerships and Church Education for LifeWay Christian Resources for 10 years. While at LifeWay, he personally trained hundreds of new church leaders. He also served on staff at First Baptist Church of Panama City, FL, and Walnut Street Baptist Church of Jonesboro, AR.

Church Leadership

Seven Indicators Your Group Is a Disciple-Making Group

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by Rick Howerton

There is much discussion about disciple-making and small groups. It seems to me that, for a period of time, the small group movement elevated community and diminished disciple-making. While the two go hand-in-hand, there are some elements of disciple-making that must be in play if we’re going to grow mature disciples who then make disciples. Use the list below to indicate whether or not your groups ministry has as its primary agenda focused on making disciples.

1. The goal of the group is to learn and obey God’s expectations (Matt. 28:20), not just to gather for meetings and be there for one another in difficult times.

2. Group members are aware of and encouraging one another to come out of their comfort zones when God’s expectations demand it.

3. The person leading the group has been trained in the disciple-making process and realizes their role is much more than just hosting meetings and fellowship experiences.

4. Group members are fully aware that the group leader is their personal disciple-maker and allow the group leader to encourage them and hold them accountable.

5. The person leading the group knows the stages of spiritual transformation, is aware of the level of spiritual maturity of each group member, and is moving each group member toward the next stage.

6. The person leading the group expects and holds group members accountable to read and study the Bible daily and spend time in prayer, as these two disciplines are the primary disciplines necessary for spiritual growth to occur.

7. The person leading the group takes very seriously modeling the lifestyle of Jesus for the growing disciples they lead.

Rick Howerton is the South Central Regional Consultant for the Kentucky Baptist Convention. He has authored many small group studies, is a highly sought-after trainer and speaker, and is the author of Destination Community: Small Group Ministry Manual as well as A Different Kind of Tribe: Embracing the New Small Group Dynamic. He is also the co-author of Disciples Path: A Practical Guide to Disciple Making and Countdown: Launching and Leading Transformational Groups. But Rick’s deepest passion and his goal in life is to see “a biblical small group within walking distance of every person on the planet making disciples that make disciples.”
Church Leadership

Four Ways We are to Shepherd our Groups

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The elders of the church were put in place to shepherd the congregation in the same way we as small group leaders are to shepherd our portion of the church. Although we are not that familiar with shepherds in today’s society, God chose shepherds throughout the Bible to lead His people. Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and David were all shepherds chosen as leaders by God. Jesus even referred to Himself as a shepherd: “I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me” (John 10:14).

Here are four ways we are to lead as shepherds for our groups:

  1. From the heart

They know each sheep in their care and will work hard to get them to their destination. The small group leader’s role is to help the people in their group take the next spiritual step to get them from where they are to where they need to be. A shepherd leader will work hard to make sure no one is left behind on their spiritual journey.

  1. With compassion

Jesus (the ultimate shepherd) set the example as a leader who always had compassion for His followers—even when it was most inconvenient.

We see in the book of Matthew Jesus withdrawing for time alone to grieve immediately after receiving the news of the death of John the Baptist, but He still could not escape the crowds.

When Jesus heard about it, he withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone. When the crowds heard this, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a large crowd, had compassion on them, and healed their sick. (Matt. 14:13–14)

Even though Jesus had every right to not care for another person at that moment, He saw sheep without a shepherd and had compassion for them. There will be many times as a small group leader where a member of your group will have a need at the most inopportune moment. It may be a phone call late at night. It may be someone who wants to stay after group to talk. It may be someone at church who needs to grab time in the lobby during the service you are about to attend. While inconvenient, it’s at those times where we have to remember the compassionate example of Jesus.

  1. From the front

“When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice” (John 10:4). A leader that people will follow is a leader willing to go first. This may mean sharing a vulnerable story with the group to set the example of authenticity. The group will model the behavior you display. If you want your group to be open, open your heart first. If you want the group to serve, serve them first. Leading from the front does not mean dictating direction. It means setting the example for others to follow.

  1. Sacrificially

There will be times when leading your group will be a sacrifice. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). While your sacrifices will probably not involve laying your life down for someone, opening your home to a group of people weekly is a sacrifice. You have to keep the house clean, put up the pets, pull out all the extra chairs, make sure there is food, etc. It’s exhausting to host a group! You will need occasional breaks to not burn out, but that sacrifice of time and effort will lead to a group that bonds through consistency.

At the end of our time as leaders, we want to know we led our flock well. We can look to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and follow His example of shepherding His flock. Though we will not be perfect, we want to lead from the heart, lead with compassion, lead from the front, and lead sacrificially.

Chris Surratt (@ChrisSurratt) is a ministry consultant and coach with more than twenty years of experience. He served on church staffs prior to becoming the discipleship and small groups specialist for LifeWay Christian Resources. He is the author of Leading Small Groups: How to Gather, Launch, Lead, and Multiply Your Small Group, from which this is excerpted and adapted with permission from B&H Publishing Group. You can follow his blog at ChrisSurratt.com.

 

Church Leadership

Selecting and Developing Co-leaders

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by Reid Smith 

One of the greatest preventable mistakes made by group leaders is when they try to carry too much – the “I’ll just do it myself” syndrome. If we follow the examples of Jesus and the Apostle Paul, we will purposefully develop others as they serve alongside us (Luke 6:12–13; 2 Timothy 2:2).

Your health and balance as a leader – not to mention the overall health of the group – is dependent on others who will serve alongside you. Having someone to co-lead your group will enhance how you connect with the diversity of people circled up with you. Your co-leader will strengthen how people are cared for in your group and can provide feedback that you would not have otherwise received (Proverbs 27:17). The impact of your leadership will be increased exponentially with the support of one or more co-leaders.

We can find guidance on how to select co-leaders in Luke 6:12-13: “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles.” In this passage, Jesus gives us a four-step process for choosing a co-leader:

  1. He prayed – Earnestly seek the Lord for clear direction and wait until you get it.
  2. He called – Initiate a time to personally connect with who He places on your heart.
  3. He chose – Tell prospective co-leaders what you see in them and why you’re choosing them to partner with you (cf. Mt 16:16-19).
  4. He designated – Empower them to champion specific aspects of group life in keeping with how God has graced them. For practical ways on how you can go about this, see my post entitled: “Leveraging Spiritual Gifts to Build Community.”

In the process of selecting your co-leader, let them know how you’ll work with them, what it looks like and what they can expect. Start with the end in mind and share a vision for how their leadership will help grow biblical community. Ultimately, experienced co-leaders multiply options for handling numerical growth so new groups can branch out and more people can connect to Christ and the community of His Church.

Groups that have more members taking on more responsibilities are better at making disciples who grow deep and impact wide. Now let’s turn our attention to some tips and tactics for developing your co-leader:

  • Give your co-leader smaller tasks at first and look for opportunities to celebrate their accomplishments. After a period of time, let the group know how this person is helping the group in this role of service (Matthew 23:11-12; Mark 10:42-45). In other words, don’t announce that somebody is your co-leader before they’ve started as if it’s a position, but rather affirm the difference their support is already making for the group.
  • In the beginning, be sure to shower your co-leader with encouragement. As the relationship grows, you can address areas where they need further development. Be sure to end your coaching times on a positive note, and pray together.
  • As co-leaders progress, increase their level of responsibility by preparing for meetings and taking the lead with special events and outreaches. Don’t just delegate tasks to them, but empower them to succeed with greater assignments by applying the following developmental model:
    • I do, you watch
    • I do, you help
    • You do, I help
    • You do, I watch
  • Find ways to share your life with your co-leader outside of regular meeting times. Meet them on their home turf. Discover what’s in their heart and what outcomes they want to achieve in the next season of your group.
  • Know their birthday, anniversary, and what makes them smile, e.g. a specialty coffee, dessert, handwritten note, etc. Then deliver on it!
  • Pray for them by name each day. Keep notes on needs and answers to prayer that you can revisit with them.
  • Take time with your co-leader to informally debrief group meetings while the experience is still fresh. Ask them to share their observations: What did they feel good about? What observations or questions do they have?
  • Make your relationship a priority by listening to their questions, empathizing with their anxiety, and sharing helpful resources that will build their leadership competency.
  • Share the frequency with which you’d like to communicate, but do it using methods they prefer, e.g. text, phone, FaceTime/Zoom, email, social media, etc. (See my post entitled “Leadership Investment Rhythms” for more on how you can organize for this.)
  • Make an encouraging deposit into their leadership at least once a month with Scripture, quotes, an excerpt or executive summary of a book, video or podcast.
  • Loop them into the larger network of leaders you know so they glean from their wisdom and grow in confidence.
  • Don’t limit yourself to just one co-leader: Invite group members to take on more responsibility when you sense they are ready for it! People can serve in a variety of ways that will create full-bodied group life and develop their leadership through outreach, communications, coordinating meals or childcare, social outings, etc.

It is never too early to appoint co-leaders! The Apostle Paul knew this. He usually had dozens of people around him who were friends and “fellow-workers” (Philemon 1:24). Several from his missionary band led house churches that were instrumental with the initial spread of the Gospel! Then and now, the multiplication of healthy leaders and groups depend on the kind of missional partnership that is forged with co-leaders (Philippians 1:3-6).

Reid Smith has been equipping leaders in churches of all sizes and stages of growth for effective disciple-making since 1996. He currently serves as a Pastor of Groups at Christ Fellowship in Palm Beach County, FL and has been a contributing author for various publications, including LifeWay’s Ministry Grid. Learn more about how to start and multiply healthy groups throughout your church at www.reidsmith.org.

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