Group Multiplication Archives

May 2, 2019

Four Discipleship Groups We All Need

Joining or leading a discipleship group can be an intimidating and seemingly complicated process for people in our churches. While there are certainly a lot of details to think through, the basic mission for any group or relationship should come from the singular command Jesus left us in Matthew 28:19: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations”.

We can see from this passage that Jesus made it simple—we are to make disciples. If our groups are built on this command, when shifting in relationships occur, the foundation is still strong. Relationships on their own are fragile, but when partnered with intentional discipleship, they can be the catalyst to sustained life-change.

If we are following Jesus’ great commission, then it makes sense to also follow the pattern He left us in forming discipleship communities. We can see through scripture that Jesus created disciples through four different types of groups.

1. Group of Many

So, where did Jesus start? He didn’t look to gather a huge crowd or even a small group of people, but he began in the community he found himself. We can see this pattern starting with Jesus as a boy in the temple.

After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. – Luke 2:41-46

Jesus intentionally spent time with people and asked questions. He wanted to understand before moving on to what was next. Our first “group” should be the community we find ourselves in. Our neighborhoods, our coffee shops, our office, or anywhere we interact with people to ask questions and understand their stories and experiences. This is our first mission field. Look for those natural interactions that can lead to relationships.

2. Group of Twelve

The next community Jesus engaged with was his group of twelve disciples. He intentionally and prayerfully chose twelve men to walk with him and carry on the mission when he was gone. After Jesus had returned to heaven, we can see this practice of meeting together in smaller groups continued by the early church in Acts 2:42-47.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

It is clear in this passage that the early church devoted themselves to God and each other through both corporate gatherings (the temple) and in the home (house to house). We are now carrying on this 2000-year-old tradition by launching groups to meet in homes, apartment clubhouses, office break rooms, church classrooms, or anywhere that a group of 8-12 people can meet together to have community (fellowship), discipleship (prayer, wonders and signs), and mission (sold their possessions and added to their number).

3. Group of Four

Even as Jesus did ministry with the twelve, there were three disciples he spent the most time with: Peter, John, and James. We can see this special relationship play out in Mark 14:32-24.

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”

He formed this smaller group of four, and allowed them more access throughout his ministry, because he understood the importance of time spent with just a few to carry on the work. As disciple-making deacons, our next step after forming a small group is looking for those 3-4 same-sex people within the group to form more intentional discipleship relationships with outside of the group meeting times.

4. Group of Two

If we look closer at Jesus’ smaller group of four, we see that there was one who was even closer than the others: John. This close relationship is testified to by John in, among other places, John 20:1-2 (emphasis added).

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

This intimate bond did not mean that Jesus loved the other disciples any less, but it’s obvious that John sought Jesus’ affections more than the rest. We all need that person in our lives who knows us better than anyone else. That person with whom we can share the highest of highs and lowest of lows. He or she may be a mentor, a spouse, or a close friend.

To learn more on how to launch and lead one of these groups, check out my new book, Leading Small Groups: How to Gather, Launch, Lead, and Multiply Your Small Group.

Chris Surratt is a ministry consultant and coach with more than twenty years of experience serving the local church. Chris served on the Executive Teams at Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN., and Seacoast Church in Charleston, S.C., prior to becoming the Discipleship and Small Groups Specialist for LifeWay Christian Resources. He is the author of Small Groups for the Rest of Us: How to Design Your Small Groups System to Reach the Fringes. You can follow his blog at www.chrissurratt.com.

Church Leadership

March 5, 2019

Key Metrics for Group Leaders

By Group Ministry

by Alan Raughton

Leaders have been described as those who challenge, inspire, enable, model, and encourage. Others call leaders risk-takers, visionaries, and people who see the future and make it happen.

Jesus called twelve men to become leaders. Look at whom Jesus called—fishermen, tax collectors, common people who displayed little unusual potential. But Jesus took them and shaped them as He carried out the ministry God placed in His hands. Jesus inspired them, taught them, challenged them, and then set them free with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. These leaders then became visionaries, world-changers.

As a group leader you should feel that God has called you and placed you specifically in your position of service and leadership. You are much like Peter, James, and others who became servant leaders and accepted the responsibilities Jesus placed in their hands.

Leaders are essential for a life-changing Bible study group. Every class or group should be a place where people are grounded in God’s Word and engage in reaching, teaching, ministry, and fellowship.

Consider multiplying your ministry through mentoring others. The mark of an effective group leader is not in how big your group becomes, but how many people leave the group to serve in another area of the Sunday School or groups ministry. So, our key metric should be how many people are we maturing in their faith so they leave our group and lead somewhere else in our church or start another Bible study group.

Jesus spent three years investing Himself in the lives of twelve men. Although one fell away from Him, Jesus sent the disciples to carry on His ministry. Jesus adopted these men, spent time teaching them, and then guided them through on-the-job training. If Jesus had called out the twelve only to keep them in seclusion and enjoy their fellowship, He would not have accomplished what God intended. Leaders are people who challenge others to “go and do likewise.”

Churches that effectively use groups in a strategic way multiply leaders and Bible study groups. This just doesn’t happen on it’s own! These churches have an intentional, ongoing plan to multiply their leadership base and increase the number of ongoing and discipleship groups.

These churches keep a clear focus on the purpose for their Bible study groups: To make disciples.

Bible study groups are central in training other persons to be strong in grace and to teach them to teach others (2 Timothy 2:1-2). Think about ways your personal ministry could be multiplied. Is there someone for whom you could be a mentor? When you multiply yourself in others, you help other believers exercise their spiritual gifts, take intentional actions that are in obedience to the command of the Lord Jesus, and lead people to faith in Him. When seen from this perspective, your relationship with others becomes an exciting adventure!

Church Leadership

January 31, 2019

Recruiting New Leaders – What to do with Another No!

By Group Ministry

by Dave Enns

You’ve set the vision, communicated the need, given realistic expectations, and offered proven and realistic training. All based on a great referral that this person would be a worthy group leader. But they still tell you “No!”

Argh! Those “no’s” are never easy to hear.

My normal response to “no” was to thank them for considering it while doing all I can to hide my disappointment. As fast as possible I would hang up the phone and move on to my next call. Little did I know how short-sighted my response was. I had reduced recruiting to “filling a spot”. Their “no” was not only causing me to miss the opportunity to affirm and come alongside them, but also to team with them for years to come in recruiting and raising up new leaders. This realization sent me back to the drawing board on what recruiting was really about.

Here are four strategies that helped us stop recruiting to fill the position, truly affirm people in what God was calling them to do, and empower them to be part of our team for years to come.

1. Reframing Rejection: A Pastoral moment to affirm the yes behind the no! A no usually means a yes to something else. All too often we’re afraid to ask someone what’s happening in their lives, causing them to say “no.” But asking “why” is important. If it’s misaligned expectations, a conversation could easily change the outcome. But more often than not, potential leaders have legitimate commitments to family, health issues, work, other ministries or hobbies that are consuming their time. These are the yes’ behind the no. These kind of yes’ are a pastoral opportunity to be intentional with that person, coming alongside to listen and understand their no to you, maybe an important yes to God. How you handle this won’t be forgotten and how they see what they have to offer the Kingdom.

2. Expanding Your Recruiting Team: Suprise them how they can easily still have an impact. When the need for leadership is sizable and your leads are few ask them if they would take the next 3-4 days to pray, and talk with their spouse or friends if they know someone else you should consider asking to lead a group. Don’t ask them to respond immediately. Most people need time to think, pray and consider. Plus, three days means for the next 72 hours you have another recruiter and person praying for you and your ministry! Set the expectation that you’ll give them a call back to follow up, and then make sure to do it! It confirms that you value their time and involvement in your ministry. You never know, their prayers may change their “no,” into “yes!”

3. Keeping the Door Open to Future Potential: Ask if you can ask again.

In our small group ministry, every potential leader or host we contact has been referred by someone else. These personal leadership referrals are invaluable, and we never want to lose a strong referral. While you may have heard “No” or “Not now,” keep in mind this doesn’t necessarily mean “never.” Ask if you can contact them again next year for another “ask”. In thirty years of vocational ministry, I’ve only had one person tell me not to call them back. I once followed up with a potential leader four years in a row. Each year I called, we ended up having a fun conversation catching up about life, and whether or not it was the right time for leadership. The fourth year it was a “yes.”

4. Building Relational Capital: Staying in their moment, not yours.

Even though someone has given you permission to call them back six months to a year later, the conversation needs to be as much about them and how they are doing, than just your need for more leaders. That’s why you need to write down the reason someone told you no the first time you called them. When I start this call-back conversation engaged and curious asking how their coaching little league went or getting an update on their parent’s health (both good reasons why they said no), most are surprised I actually remember those details. It will also help you know if there’s no way you should be asking them to lead because they’re in the same situation they had been in the past. A call not ending up in an ask reveals once again that you care more about them than just filling a slot.

Let’s be clear. Recruiting is hard work and rarely effective during office hours only. It’s one of the most challenging roles we have in ministry. It’s also one of the most rewarding opportunities we have to be involved in. It multiples impact, discipleship, and evangelism. Every follower of Jesus we call to lead has a desire and passion to make a kingdom impact (Ephesians 2:10). It might be hard to see, but it’s there. Don’t let a “no” and a need to fill some slots cause you to miss it!

Dave Enns has been on staff at North Coast Church (the Sticky Church) since 1990 and is the lead pastor of their Small Groups Ministry. He oversees a team of 25 staff, 1,400 lay leaders and over 6,000 who attend their home groups.

Church Leadership

November 9, 2018

Identifying Potential Leaders Within Your Small Group

By Group Ministry

by Brian Phipps

Moses identified and developed Joshua.

Elijah identified and developed Elisha.

Jesus identified and developed Peter.

Paul identified and developed Timothy.

Who have you identified and developed to lead in your group?

Identifying and developing new leaders can be one of the most exciting and fulfilling practices for a small group leader. Yet based on my experience and the experience of many others I have spoken to, developing new leaders seems to be a lost art that only a few enjoy. Current leaders simply are not raising up new leaders. It does not need to be this way.

The process of developing new leaders is simple:

Identify your new leader.

Partner with your new leader.

Release your new leader.

This article’s focus is on identifying potential leaders. Many leaders falter at this step because they start by looking for a person’s group-leading competency. I often hear leaders say, “No one in this group is ready to lead.” While that statement may be true, it is partly true because they have never been given a chance to lead or they were asked to lead without adequate preparation.

If you want to see more potential leaders in your current group, don’t start by looking for their competency. Start by looking for the following four criteria:

Character

Is this person growing? Are they taking next steps in their faith? If so, they have character. They do not need to have “arrived” at a certain level to begin developing their leadership ability.

Consistency

Does this person regularly show up for group? Are they consistently prepared for the conversation? Do their actions correlate with their words? If so, they are consistent.

Chemistry

Does this person get along with most everyone else? If so, they have favorable chemistry. I do not know anyone who gets along with everyone, but I do know some who do not get along with many. Good group leaders are generally those who get along with most people.

Charisma

Do you and other people in the group listen when this person speaks? Does this person have people hanging around them before and after the group? If so, this person has charisma.

The ICNU (I see in you) Conversation

If a person meets these four criteria, it is time to initiate an “I see in you” conversation with them. Invite this person to come 15 minutes early to a group meeting to share what you see in them. This is such an encouraging exercise! After sharing the specific ways you see character, consistency, chemistry, and charisma in them, tell them that these are the four most important qualities you look for in a new group leader. Before they have a chance to respond, let them know that you want to work with them over the next few weeks to prepare them to lead the group. It is during this process that you will measure their competency.

If a person meets three of the four criteria, you can have a similar conversation with them. Have the ICNU conversation and how the three criteria you see are three of the four you look for in a new leader. The only difference in this conversation is that you will encourage them to consider asking Jesus to develop the one criteria that is missing.

For example, if consistency is missing encourage them to ask Jesus to give them a desire and commitment to be more consistent. If they are missing the chemistry element, you can encourage them to pray for Jesus to bear more spiritual fruit in them. Developing this fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control goes a long way in developing chemistry with more people. The most difficult of these criteria to develop is charisma. Even so, God can develop confidence and vision in them that can elevate their potential to lead. If they develop that forth criteria, they too are ready to begin the process that will help you measure their competency.

Four Progressive Steps to Measuring Competency

1. I do. You watch. We talk.

2. I do. You help. We talk.

3. You do. I help. We talk.

4. You do. I watch. We talk.

Much has been written about these four steps of leadership development. The brilliance of this process is the ability to measure person’s competency incrementally, minimizing embarrassment and perceived failure by thrusting them into a leadership situation prematurely. If a person moves through all four phases of this process successfully, it is time to enter the second phase of developing a leader, partnering with a new leader. I will cover that exciting topic in a later blog.

A Simple Tool

Identifying a new leader is not difficult, but it does take intentionality. One helpful tip for keeping this a priority is to have a notepad that you keep with you while leading your group. List out the four criteria on that notebook with space between each of them. When you notice someone demonstrating a given criteria, put their initials under that heading. When they get their initials under three or four of them, it is time to have those conversations.

A Promise

Over and over I hear how awesome it is to be a grandparent. Almost every grandparent I know says it is WAY better than being a parent! Currently, I have three kids but no grandchildren. If these people are correct, my wife and I have some awesome days ahead because being a parent has been awesome!

While I am not a grandparent physically, I am a grandparent spiritually. I know the joys of watching those I have invested in turn and invest in others. Their spiritual growth went into in hyper-drive when they started leading just like mine did when I was first asked to lead a Sunday school group many years ago. Their joy went up and my delight in them went up. I believe God smiled too. His kingdom just made room for more people to join and grow.

Start identifying a new leader today!

Brian Phipps is the founder of Disciples Made, a Not For Profit 501c3 Ministry that provides turn-key and custom disciple-making tools that integrate online and in person experiences. Brian coined the “Outcome Focused, Habit Fueled, and Content Flavored” language of the intentional disciple-making environment which provides increased spiritual effectiveness in traditional small group systems. Brian’s vision is to leverage the small group strategy to catalyze 50 Disciple-Making Movements in 50 Cities by 2040.

Brian served for nine years as the Next Steps pastor at Westside Family Church in Kansas City, KS. Brian is also experienced as a church planter and senior pastor. Brian received his BA in religion from the University of South Carolina, and a Masters of Divinity and M.A. in Counseling from Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida. Brian and Carol were married in 1994 and have three children, Hannah, Sam, and Caleb.

Church Leadership

September 28, 2018

Tornadic Activity in Your Group

By Group Ministry

by Jared Musgrove

I grew up in Oklahoma where tornadoes are just part of life. You learn to live with getting out of their way. You also learn that there is not a true linear pattern to how they are formed. As I was raised to understand, tornadoes are dependent on weather conditions coming together just so if they are to exist. The conditions of lightning, rain, wind and clouds can exist and a tornado never form. Some of these may exist and then immediately a whirlwind ensues. Tornadoes don’t follow a particular pattern or process. Elements come together out of certain conditions, and all those elements must be present for a tornado to form.

Your Bible study group may isn’t all that different.

Your role is to ask God for the elements to come together in such a way that souls are spiritually formed when His Holy Spirit moves. Word. Prayer. Food. Fellowship. Encouragement. Accountability. These are some of the elements. Assemble and plan for them faithfully, and pray for the wind to blow.

After you place the extra chairs out, sit in the circle where you will have group that night. Pray over each chair that represents a soul who will sit together with others to celebrate the truth that the Father sent the Son. Raise empty hands of faith and ask the Lord to produce great fruit in you and your group members.

We cannot make the group happen, any more than we can create a tornado. But we can anticipate God’s bringing together of elements for the formation of a spiritual event in the lives of those who make up our group.

Jared Steven Musgrove serves as Groups Pastor and elder at The Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from The University of Oklahoma, a Master of Divinity in preaching from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctorate of Ministry in leadership from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the husband of Jenny and the father of two sons, Jordan and Joshua. You can follow him on Twitter @jsmusgrove

Church Leadership

August 20, 2018

How to Know When to End or Split Your Small Group

By Matt Morris

This tends to be a touchy subject for many group leaders in churches across the country. The words “end” and “split” can both have very negative connotations attached to their meanings. They are the easy words, the two words that first come to mind when people talk about this subject, but they shouldn’t be. I believe that splitting a group is really a matter of biblical discipleship. If you are discipling your group members the way that Jesus commands, you won’t be splitting—you’ll be replicating, reproducing or multiplying. Any of those three words will work just fine for this context.

So how do we know when we need to step aside or replicate our small group? Allow me to give you three answers to your question.

If the group you lead isn’t producing spiritual fruit, chances are you aren’t leading well. It’s time for a reality check. As a lay leader, you have the responsibility as a shepherd of that group. You are a leader. If your group members aren’t discipling others, the group is in decline (or plateaued), and that can be a sign of poor leadership. Seek guidance from other leaders. Seek guidance from your pastors. Pray. Ask God to give you clarity on what He has for you next. Perhaps it’s stepping aside to experience a season of rest to abide in Him. Maybe it’s allowing another leader to lead for a period of time. It could mean that it’s time for you to relinquish leadership duties and be a group member instead of a group leader. Or perhaps it means that the few people who remain will be better served in another small group under other leadership.

If the group you lead is experiencing rapid growth and it’s no longer possible for many of the group members to participate in meaningful conversation, it could mean you need to create two or more groups. How this replication is implemented can be a big benefit to those you lead—or it can be detrimental. Don’t announce to your group that a new class is being formed and assign members to the new class. Instead, allow people to have some autonomy and ownership. Make sure you have a plan well ahead of time to introduce to the group. Let them know that you thank God for the growth you’ve seen, but that you feel it’s best if the size of the group is limited to around 20 so they can properly be discipled. Educate your group members on when the transition will take place (make sure it’s not the next week, or even the next month, who will lead the new group and give group members an opportunity to ask questions). Focusing on biblical community here is of utmost importance.

Most importantly, if you have clear direction from the Holy Spirit that you are to end or replicate your group, follow that lead and make it happen. If you feel convicted to step aside, do it. The last thing those you lead need is to be led by a group leader who has a heart that isn’t in it. You’ll be doing a disservice to them, to yourself, and to God. On the contrary, if you are convicted to replicate your existing group into two or more groups, follow that lead as well. Gather your other leaders (or potential leaders) and talk about how you’ve been feeling and how God has convicted you. They’ll offer their input and introduce some ideas you haven’t thought of on how to implement a new group or groups moving forward.

Don’t be afraid to make a decision one way or the other. Not everyone may understand, but the Lord knows what He is doing. Don’t isolate yourself in either decision. Seek wise counsel. Pray fervently. Listen to the Lord. He will guide you.

Matt Morris consults churches on discipleship strategy, executive leadership and operations. He also consults ministries and technology companies that serve churches. Matt has served in ministry for over 12 years. He is married to Carmen and they have twins, Hudson and Harper. Matt and his family are members of First Baptist Church Mount Juliet, where he serves as a deacon and group leader.

Group Leadership, Start New Groups

March 22, 2018

Capturing the Momentum of Easter for Groups

By Chris Surratt

The timing of Easter Sunday this year provides a unique opportunity for small groups. When Easter is later on the calendar, it’s difficult for newly formed groups to get traction before the summer vacations start after Memorial Day. An April 1st Easter Sunday leaves two full months, and that’s plenty of time for a group to begin to build community. Here are four things you can do to capture the Easter momentum and create new groups that will thrive.

1. Recruit new leaders on Palm Sunday.

Make an announcement that you are looking for leaders and hosts to launch new groups the week after Easter for unconnected people coming next Sunday. This call should emphasize the vision of community and discipleship for everyone in your church. Make sure that you have turbo-type training ready for the new leaders.

2. Choose an easy-to-use 6-week study for new groups.

You can choose one from this list, or sign-up for a 30-day preview of smallgroup.com. There are over 3000 studies to choose from on smallgroup.com, and many of them are video-enhanced, 6-week studies. You may also want to build custom sermon-based studies with smallgroup.com to go along with the sermon series. It’s always a good idea to start a new series on Easter to give people a reason to come back the next week.

3. Only announce the next sermon series and small groups on Easter.

With that many people in the room, it’s tempting to announce everything that you do as a church. Resist that temptation and only announce what the next series is and how people can get connected in groups. Truthfully, most people will be thinking about Easter lunch at the end of the service, so they will only have an attention span for one or two announcements. Make those the most important initiatives they need to hear: what they will learn if they come back, and how they can get connected in community.

4. Have a summer plan ready for groups.

You don’t want your new groups to cease to exist when vacations start, so plan to follow up with them the last week of April. They don’t have to continue meeting every week, but this is not the time to disband as a group. Give them ideas for doing something fun and missional through the next two months. That will help keep the new community going.

With some quick planning and recruiting, you can launch new small groups that will build on the excitement and momentum of Easter.

Chris Surratt is a ministry consultant and coach with over 23 years of experience serving the local church. Chris served on the Executive Team at Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN, and was on staff at Seacoast Church in Charleston, SC, for 15 years. He is also the Small Group Specialist for LifeWay Christian Resources. Chris’s first book, Small Groups For The Rest Of Us: How to Design Your Small Groups System to Reach the Fringes, was recently released by Thomas Nelson. You can follow his blog at chrissurratt.com or follow him on Twitter @chrissurratt.

Group Leadership, Start New Groups

March 20, 2018

Don’t Do These 6 Things When Starting a New Small Group

By Brian Daniel

Within the last year, my wife and I have launched a home Bible study group through our church’s Life Group ministry. This isn’t our first time to launch a group—far from it. This time, however, I noticed several things about the process that I thought might make a great “Don’t, Dos” post for anyone either considering starting a group or in the process of starting a group. Here are 6 “Don’t, Do” lessons that we discovered in the process of launching our current group.

Don’t: Assume Everyone You Ask Will Show Up. I know, I know. “Of course,” you might say. “Of course, everyone I invite won’t show up.” Even those who may have told you they will come, don’t count on it. Our group was not launched out of another group, so my wife and I actually had to recruit un-grouped couples—which adds another degree of difficulty. Even though I knew not everyone I invited would show up (not even those that said they would), I was still caught a little off guard the first night. Retrospectively, I realize that I was a little too careful about trying to get it just right. I invited 12 and felt confident about having 8 the first night. Do: Land on an ideal number and invite more than double the ideal number. For me, that means inviting 9 couples. For singles, I think you can bend that rule a little bit, but the basic ideology doesn’t change.

Don’t: Take the Bible study portion of the experience lightly. This is critical. Even as someone who produces small group Bible studies on a daily basis, I realize that I approached my decision the wrong way. No question I chose a great Bible study. It was foundational for believers with content rightfully rooted in Scripture. It had application both for the individuals in the group and their families. The problem with my decision was that it was what I wanted to do. In the end, I realized, it was perhaps a little more bent on the academic and a little less bent on any kind of application to the lives of the group members. I knew all along the study I wanted to launch with. I was so sure, in fact, that I never really listened to the hearts of the people I was recruiting. Do: Just pay attention to what people are revealing to you about their spiritual needs. A great place to begin is with a historical figure like Joseph, or a Book of the Bible like Ephesians.

Don’t: Be unintentional about when to launch and how much lead time to build in. We launched in the spring. I had been in several encouraging conversations about our need for new groups and families looking for a Life Group. We did some wise things, set a date, and began the process of inviting families that had no group home. In our excitement, we failed to look at the calendar. Most of us have astutely concluded that the best times to launch groups are January and September. This doesn’t mean that all other launch points are out of play; it’s just that they’re not quite as natural and may require additional planning. We launched a couple of weeks before spring break and about the time spring sports were ramping up with summer just around the corner. We made it through this season, but it took some hustling to keep our momentum. Do: Plan at least 6 weeks from your first small-group meeting and take measures to know the rhythms of your church and the families as their lives intersect with school and community. Know the calendar. Simply planning helps avoid poor launch times.

Don’t: Conclude that your winsome personality will be enough. I caution against relying on the sheer force of personality for recruiting and beginning a Bible study group in your home. For starters, it’s not a great idea because, ultimately, this isn’t about you. It’s about Jesus Christ and how His death and resurrection plays out in the lives of believers. It’s important to remember that. But it also positions you, as the leader, as the emotional center of the group. While your energy and enthusiasm are supremely important, being the emotional center can be a drain on you down the road. An alternative approach would be focusing on potential group members themselves. Do: As you are engaging individuals and couples in pre-group encounters, be sure to listen for needs and articulate how you think this group will meet those needs and provide valuable community and disciple-making discussion.

Don’t: Be flippant about the schedule. People like to know what to expect. As a group leader, it’s your responsibility to be sure the group has a direction, a focus, and something akin to a destination. Far too many groups enter into a, “So what do we want to study next?” conversation at or around the same time the current study is wrapping up. This shows a lack of commitment and doesn’t instill a great deal of confidence in the group leader as someone who is serious about disciple-making. I like to stay two studies ahead of our current Bible study experience. Pay attention to prayer needs for future Bible study experiences. I’ve learned to create a schedule and keep it in front of the group. Do: Create a 3-month schedule with built-in group outings, weeks off that may be due to travel or holidays, and discussion topics. If you’re using one of our studies, the Table of Contents makes this real easy. Review this every week. It creates a sense of expectation while also demonstrating your commitment to the group.

Don’t: Create false expectations early in the group life. Leading up to our first meeting, I was making all these great plans with food and fellowship. One of the primary shows of hospitality that I had planned was a full meal. In fact, in my heart I thought a full meal might be one of those things that my wife and I offered every single group meeting. By no means should this be discouraged, and I realize that many groups make this a normal part of the group time. That being said, be very sure about any expectations that you might be setting. For instance, the full-meal-plus-Bible-study approach is the same thing you might be complaining about a few months later when group members are still at your house 3 hours later. Do: Keep the Bible study central to the group time so everyone knows why they are there. Make water and light snacks available early on in the group, but have the flexibility for a special occasion down the road.

This list is by no means exhaustive. When you’re starting a group, give good, devoted time to the who, how, what, and why. Our group is going great. We’re not immune to the same challenges anybody faces with busy schedules, personal lives, children, and activities, but we remain engaged with the gospel.

Group Leadership

March 19, 2018

The One Thing Your Group May Be Lacking

By Ken Braddy

Would you like your Bible study group to grow? There may be one thing you’re overlooking: prospecting.

During my college days I worked for the JC Penney company. For several years I sold men’s clothing on commission, and the big reason for my success was the way I worked my prospect file. I was religious about having every person who purchased from me fill out a short form with their basic contact information on it. It went into my prospect file, and every time we had a sale, I sent out hundreds of letters and postcards. People came in to see me specifically, and I watched my income grow. It paid for my college and seminary courses, and I won some cool prizes when the company had sales contests.

Prospecting (that’s what we called the process of maintaining a file and making contact regularly with prospects) is something I’ve learned is important when it comes to helping Bible study groups grow.

One reason that Bible study groups don’t grow is because the group doesn’t maintain a prospect file. In the book The Bonsai Theory of Church Growth, Dr. Ken Hemphill suggests that groups have one prospect for every member. Do you know how many prospects you have in a file? Do you have a file? If not, it’s time to get one! A group of 15 regular attenders should have a prospect file full of about 15 people’s names and contact information.

Church growth experts say that each of us know at least five people who are not involved in a small group. If a group has 10 people, then altogether the group knows 50 people who are potential prospects. All you have to do is collect the information about those people (names, addresses, emails, etc.) and begin contacting them regularly.

When my wife and I launched our new group in October 2012, our church provided a list of 49 prospects. We sent out letters and emails, and even made some phone calls. On our first day, 10 people came. We continued to work the prospect list, and the group ultimately grew to about 16-18 adults present each week.

Barna’s research has indicated that 1/3 of unchurched adults would attend a worship service or small group if they were invited. In the example above, if a group of 10 knows 50 prospects, and if 1/3 would attend if invited, then the group has the potential to grow by 16-17 people!

Think about creating a prospect file (electronic or paper) and send out regular invitations to your group’s fellowships, meals, and oh yes, Bible study! Many prospects will resonate with invitations to parties, and they actually become a part of your group before becoming an official part of your group. Others will be attracted to a Bible study topic you’re studying. The bottom line is, if you aren’t prospecting on a regular basis and keeping an active prospect file, your group may decline over time because people move away, stop attending, or die. The possibility of growing your group can actually be tied to how aggressive you are in reaching out to prospects. Start and maintain a prospect file and watch your numbers grow!

This was an excerpt from kenbraddy.com. Ken Braddy is a group leader, and manages LifeWay’s adult ongoing Bible studies. He blogs daily about groups at kenbraddy.com.

Church Leadership, Group Leadership, Start New Groups

February 19, 2018

Leaders Can’t Do Everything

By Reid Patton

Most people look for leaders in the church like they are trying to fill a job—they look for the most competent person available. This may seem like a good idea at first, but it excludes people who may not appreciate the gifts they have. Having strong competent leaders is a blessing, but if you only seek out people who are ready to lead right now you are missing a great opportunity to build leaders through groups.

The reality is that not all leaders come to us fully formed. The best future leaders of your groups may be those who don’t show an ability or even a desire to lead right now. So how do we equip and identify leaders who do not come to us ready to hit the ground running?

We do it by equipping our current leaders to share the responsibility of leadership with others.

We build future leaders by refusing to do everything. Such an approach cultivates a culture where new leaders are continually being trained and sent out. This type of shared leadership is effective for at least a few reasons.

The best leaders are actually the ones who defer to others. Good leaders let different people lead in different areas. Most small groups include the following elements—teaching, praying, and cultivating relationships. Someone in your group is likely better at one of these things than you. As you identify this, encourage them to take ownership in that particular gifting.

Developing leaders gradually allows group members to grow in their calling. Jesus didn’t send the twelve out immediately. They only went out after they spent time with Him and observed what He did. Gradually, Jesus gave the disciples responsibilities in the mission. They grew in their calling, as well as their ability to depend on Jesus.

Refusing to do everything helps group members see that community is not dependent upon leadership or personality. Everyone loves to have a dynamic group leader, but groups are not about the leadership gifts of one person. Rather, groups are a conglomeration of individual members of the body of Christ coming together. Refusing to do everything trains the people in groups to take responsibility and see that a group is about everyone—not just the leader.

We build leaders by not doing everything.

Reid Patton is a Content Editor for the Short-Term Discipleship Team at LifeWay Christian Resources. He is the thankful husband of Kristen and proud father of Ceile and serves with the Life Group leadership team at the Church at Station Hill in Spring Hill, Tennessee. In his free time, Reid likes reading, watching NBA Basketball and Auburn Football, and going to record stores. You can find him on Twitter @jreidpatton.

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