Setting a goal for spiritual maturity and a realistic pace for spiritual growth
Tony Escobar
One of the main purposes of small groups is to develop mature people who follow Christ more obediently. But in churches, and especially in small groups, different people may view spiritual maturity in different ways. Some may think of it as having lots of Bible knowledge, for example, or having a great quiet time everyday, or being perfect.
At Community Christian Church, we believe that spiritual maturity ...
1. Having an apprentice in your group is one of the best strategies for evangelism and growth available to the church. In order to bring new people into your group (and the church), you need trained leaders. But where will these leaders come from? If every small group has an apprentice, you'll always have leaders in training. Just as an intern trains in the hospital under a doctor, an apprentice trains ...
With so much to be done, don't forget to take the time to develop future leaders.
Joel Comiskey
George Whitefield and John Wesley were contemporaries in seventeenth-century England. Both dedicated themselves to God's work in the same small group at Oxford University. Both were excellent in open-air preaching. Both witnessed thousands of conversions through their ministries. Yet John Wesley left behind a 100,000 member church, while George Whitefield could point to little tangible fruit toward ...
If you want your leaders to continue growing, you need to provide them with a support network.
Michael C. Mack
The Small Group Network was born out of a concern I had while sitting in a small group seminar led by Lyman Coleman in 1993. The seminar was great—my concern was about what people would do when they got home from the seminar and started leading small groups. When they faced problems, who would they call? Lyman did not give us his home phone number.
One time, up-front training is helpful, especially ...
How we moved to a more relational small group support system
Michael C. Mack
In July, I wrote,
I have come to a place and time in my ministry where I just want to simplify everything. … So we are transitioning our small group ministry, getting rid of some of the "structural requirements" that only served to hinder ministry in the past (for instance, we recently gave all our coaches their "pink slips" and replaced that structure with a more relational "Peer-to-Peer" ...
We must be finding and building Small-Group Leaders constantly.
Rick Howerton
Leading a small group ministry is an extraordinary opportunity. Too often, those of us who pilot this ministry think like small group leaders and miss one important fact… We are no longer shepherding a group of twelve, we are now managing a movement. Small Groups max out. Movements grow, and managing a growing movement demands the building of people and teams of people. We must be finding and ...
Discipling individuals is primary; leading groups and teaching the crowds is secondary.
Michael C. Mack
Leading the group is not the most important thing a group leader does.
Although that is where most churches place most of their energy in leadership training, the most important, lasting thing a group leader does is develop the apprentice leader. I've studied growing churches, different church and small group models, the life of Jesus, and the life of the early church. And they all point to this conclusion: ...
While apprenticing is rewarding, it can be hard work and requires the persistent application of certain skills. The 10 skills listed here all need to be used by the leader who trains an apprentice.
1. Supplicate. Jesus prayed not only before he called the disciples, but also toward the end of his earthly ministry (John 17:6-19)—and, undoubtedly, throughout the three years they spent together. ...
About two years ago we fired our coaches. OK, truth be told, we didn't really have any coaches to fire. Two years ago we liberated our small group staff to coach the small group leaders directly—without the aid of a lay coach.
First, let me recognize that this will not work in every environment. I believe that small group structures and systems are not universally applicable. Principles may be, ...
Every dynamic team has a coach with a dynamic coaching strategy.
Eric Bryce Johnson
Do your small group leaders know the game plan? Do they know the position of the goal line? Can we improve our strategy?
So we win a few and we lose a few. Does this sound like your team's banner? So our team members don't always know when to block or which way to run. Our team captains (small group leaders) don't always give the right plays. What is a coach to do? Sounds like it's time to revise our ...
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