I was browsing the web today and ran across 5 tips for small groups leaders:
Dont go it alone: Team ministry can be more effective and way more fun. Always start your groups with an apprentice, and remember that apprentices are not just for planting new groups, but they make your existing group experience better. And your coach is the other key part of your team, so make the most of the coaching relationship.
Expect the revolving door: You may rarely have the exact same set of people in your group for a very long time, so don't make that your goal. Often small groups are much more like a revolving door, so one of our goals is making the most of the time God brings each person to us. Your group may be the next key step on their spiritual journey!
Don't over-emphasize the meeting time: Don't get too caught up in making the 2 hours of your small group meeting time be perfect. Sometimes, the majority of connection and life change happens during all the other hours of the week, and that's OK. And often the best group meetings are the ones that totally stray from your plan. It's still your group that brings those relationships together and creates community!
Use your freedom and creativity: You have the freedom to experiment with what your small group time will look like, so take risks and try different formats. It can be great for the group to mix it up and blow their minds once in awhile, whether you split into men/women for the evening, do a service project together, meet for group at a bar/restaurant, have an all-worship night, watch and discuss a movie together, or whatever.
Leave a legacy: Planting new groups should never become some dreaded "have to." Without planting a new group, your group dies with you! But with constant planting and multiplication, it carries on long after you're gone, and what is more exciting in life than leaving a a legacy behind!
Heather Zempel and NCC are hosting a gathering for Small Group Pastors and point leaders at Ebenezers Coffeehouse. Here is her recent post with the details:
Calling all DC-area small group pastors and point leaders! NCC will be hosting a gathering of small group/discipleship point leaders on November 13 at Ebenezers Coffeehouse from 2pm-4pm. Whether you are a volunteer or a full-time paid staff member, if you are the primary champion of small groups at your church, we'd love for you to come.
Why?
Connect with like-minded and like-hearted people. It's good to be networked with other people who are doing what we are doing.
Compare notes. This is not a conference or a teaching seminar. It's a conversation. It's an opportunity for us to share best practices with one another. What's working? What's not working? What are the challenges? What things would we like to experiment with?
Gulp coffee. C'mon, who doesn't want some coffee?
If you would like to attend, please email Will Johnston with your RSVP. It's totally free. But we do need a head count so we know how much coffee to brew!
If you watch the video below you can see some experimentation that BMW is doing in changing the skin of their cars to a flexible material instead of rigid steel or fiberglass.
How does this apply to groups?
In one question - is your group model flexible? Does it allow for variety or is it rigid? At the conference I just attended Heather Zempel said that "maturity does not equal conformity." I AGREE. However I would follow that with rigidity does not equal excellence.
I belive that just like the BMW experiment we can build a small group leadership model that has a strong frame but stills allows flexibility for different styles of leadership and different types of groups. Take a look at the video below and let me know what you get from the concept...
Dave Treat has posted the video highlights from each of the main sessions. Here are links to each so take a look to get a feel for the great speakers at this year's conference:
