How do you structure your small group ministry? Bill Donahue recently wrote on the topic of place based community,
Another approach is an organized network of groups for spiritual growth within the broader geographic context. Many churches are using a small group structure but organized geographically. These include affinity groups, serving teams, meal groups, recovery, bible studies, etc. Without such a clearly integrated group network (as opposed to simply allowing small groups to form and exist independently), our observation was less than 20% of people connected to a neighborhood community after 2-3 years.
Bill is right. When I was researching the topic, and conducting some benchmarking studies to gauge the health of our group ministry, many churches have 20% or less of their adults participating in group ministry. It is unfortunate that so many people miss out on this part of Christian community.
When structuring our small group ministry we attempted to be as flexible and intentional as possible. We always attempt to connect people geographically first but we will settle on any connection that we can get to work to accommodate the busy lifestyles people live in the Northeast. We have to remember that group ministry cannot be approached from a one size fits all perspective and to do our best to help those that we serve connect with God and each other.
At my church we call our most popular small groups Home Teams. However, we will often find ourselves in social situations with people without a church experience that say... what? "Your what team?" We go on to attempt describing to them that there are some friends we have that get together at our house each week to have fun and discuss life, God, and the Bible. Kathy Guy, who handles groups at Granger, recently posted on the topic:
Before our friends came to church, they heard us talk of other friends we had made "in our small group." It drew the question, "Is that the thing you guys used to have at your house on Sunday nights?" They asked that question a couple years ago, and it still comes up occasionally even though they've attended GCC for a while now. I can't shake the simplicity of the question.
Small groups, home groups, connect groups, life groups: all church language! All of it! When I google these, nearly every one links to a church or a ministry support organization. I found a few exceptions - very few. The name of Benny Goodman's band at some point was "The Small Groups"? Health insurance language includes "small group" plans. Other than a few other random mentions, it's all church stuff!
The most frequently asked question from other churches: How do you get people to want to join a small group? Everyone is trying to figure it out. Talk in a language they speak, make it normal, and tell them the purpose of the group - a purpose they value.
I think Kathy raises a great question. How do you help people that start visiting your church (that have little or no church experience) feel comfortable enough to join a small group?
I think one of the best ways I seem new people connect in groups is through a relationship and a personal invitation. In that order of sequence. An individual already attending a group regularly will build a friendship with the new visitor and after a few weeks or months invite them to something that their small group is doing. Sometimes the invitation is based up a need or crisis, other times the invitation is based upon common interest or an activity.
Creation is a topic that I have always found interesting. I have some opinions that I will hash out at some point on my personal blog but for now, it seems that Ben Stein wants in the debate over darwinism and intelligent design. Here is what he has to say:
I'm Ben Stein - many of you know me from the classic film, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," or from my Comedy Central show "Win Ben Stein's Money". Still others of you may know me as a speechwriter, for presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. You may even have read my books, attended one of my lectures at The American University, Washington DC, or seen me on the talk shows.
EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed is a controversial, soon-to-be-released documentary that chronicles my confrontation with the widespread suppression and entrenched discrimination that is spreading in our institutions, laboratories and most importantly, in our classrooms, and that is doing irreparable harm to some of the world's top scientists, educators, and thinkers.
Here is the trailer for Ben's soon to be released film (April 08):
Some churches make the mistake of having a one size fits all group mentality. The problem with this is that if you only have one type of small group at your church, you are automatically excluding people from being a part of what you are doing in group ministry. Many people have different learning styles and even different social styles.
Some like large groups(20-40), some like smaller groups (6-15), and some like even smaller accountability/transformation groups (2-3). By offering groups of different sizes you can attract many types of people to get involved. The smaller the group the less anonymous someone can be and the intensity of the spiritual growth increases.
I would also encourage group leaders to define the type of group they are leading. For example, at our church we have the following classifications:
Home Teams - by far the most popular, these are groups that are just as social as they are spiritual. They meet at least twice a month, discuss the Bible and do fun activities together year round.
Explore Groups - These groups are short term groups (6-12 weeks) that meet weekly to study the Bible or a designated topic from a Biblical perspective.
Restore Groups - These are groups that are focused on helping people recover and cope with challenges associated with addictions and co-dependency.
By organizing the focus of what a leader is trying to do we can help them be more effective. Doing this also helps those trying to get connected with others that have similar interests and needs. When that happens we increase the chances for ongoing participation and real life change. I love it when people tell me that their small group feels like home!
