Here are some things to keep in mind when money isn't a factor.
by Nancy Beach
Since many of us who serve in ministry end up leading volunteers, the editors at Gifted for Leadership wanted to find out how leading volunteers differed from leading paid staff. So we asked Nancy Beach, a teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church as well as a GFL editorial advisor, who has vast experience in leading staff, volunteers, and the staff who lead volunteers.
When our church grew almost overnight, we needed a plan to disciple our new, "milk-only" members.
Anonymous
Worship Attendance—250 Small Groups—Our Current Small Group Structure is a mix of "fully-functioning" groups and short-term ones for families or adult affinity groups as well as weekly groups for teens. At our "max" in 2004, we had 9 Family/Affinity Groups & 6 Teen Groups # in Small Groups – 130
Background
Our congregation is a 130-year-old congregation in a rural community of 700 ...
If you wait for the perfect time to hold small group, you might just not start one.
Marilyn Yocum
Carving out a 90-minute block of time for a small group to meet does not sound like too difficult a task, but trying to work around the schedules of 6 or 8 other people is a feat that almost deserves a spot in the Olympics.
My current small group almost did not get off the ground. I recall its inception, almost seven years ago, when a handful of us were crying out for some time apart to discuss God's ...
The positives, and negatives, of covenants in small groups.
Michael C. Mack
Should you use a covenant in your small group? Yes and no.
Yes, I believe in having a covenant up front with a group. That is, I believe it is good to plan and set goals as you begin, and I think it's a good idea to agree on a number of disciplines and ground rules. Doing so can help group members have an idea of expectations and it puts everyone on the "same page."
We asked a small group of small group experts; here are their responses.
Michael C. Mack
Small GroupsWhat is the Value of Group Covenants?We asked a small group of small group experts; here are their responses.Michael C. MackRadical Renewal: The Problem of Wineskins Today By Howard Snyder Touch Publishing
Radical Renewal is an updated reprint of Howard Snyder's classic book of the mid-seventies, The Problem of Wineskins. The premise of the book is taken from Jesus' words in Matthew 11:17: "Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."
Snyder's theme is clearly that God's plan was and is today to use the church to impact the world for His kingdom purpose. But that will only happen as the church is willing to change its "wineskins" so that the wine can expand to new dimensions for God's glory. The problem, however, is that we tend to institutionalize the church—making sacred the means and methods of ministry. In short we have to again get our focus on the wine rather than the wineskin!
Chapter 4 deals with three areas where we need to change our thinking: sacrifice, priesthood and tabernacle. All three passed away with the birth of the church. They are wineskins, and yet it is our constant temptation to re-institute them - making the church building sacred as our tabernacle, the pastors our priests and the Eucharist our sacrifice.
The church is not the building! In contrast, the church had it's greatest impact in the first and second centuries before it had buildings. "It thought 'church' meant people, the community of disciples. In those days the church was mobile, flexible, friendly, humble, inclusive—and growing like mad!" Nor is the church the work of the pastor. "If the pastor is a superstar then the church is an audience, not a body." Rather, the church is a movement—God's people mobilized for action. When God's people get serious about worship, community and witness—functioning creatively in both large and small groups—then the world is effected! It is not through programs and techniques that the world will be drawn to Christ. It is when the church begins to act like the church that the nonbelieving world will sit up and take notice. It is "koinonia," not evangelism programs that is needed. Quoting Jess Moody, Snyder writes, "We will win the world when we realize that fellowship, not evangelism, must be our primary emphasis. When we demonstrate the Big Miracle of Love, it won't be necessary for us to go out—they will come in." This is where small groups come into play. It is through groups that Christians learn to truly love one another and there partner together to reach the world. The powerful message of Jesus is the wine. All the ways that we have become used to are the wineskin. God's plan is still the church, but for it to be the tool in God's hand that it was intended to be we must be willing to lay aside our comfort zones of how we've liked to see things done in the past. It is then that the church can be the force it was meant to be in our day.
Successfully transitioning out of a small-groups campaign is as challenging as launching one. Churches that wait until the campaign is over in order to plan the next step will lose momentum and spend valuable leadership equity. Instead, use these four keys to create a smooth transition ...
"What is going on with George? This is the second week in a row he has come to group late, flopped down in a chair, crossed his arms, stared at the floor and is acting like he's daring us to get him to talk." I hate it when group turns into an arbitration session. What is so bad in his life that he can come in here and manipulate the rest of us? Can't he just get his stuff in order before he shows ...
Among small groups, it's essential to talk about group needs.
Keith Wright
Do you want your small group to remain healthy year after year? From the vantage point of overseeing 140 small groups, I observe one common denominator of vibrant, enduring groups: they recovenant.
Since people come into a small group with a wide range of experiences and expectations, I strongly advocate that new groups develop a covenant - a written statement outlining the group's purpose and ground ...
A case study on Grace Community Church's small group program
Ron Stohler
Worship attendance? 6000+
Number of small groups currently meeting? Offsite Adult Groups: 250+ Onsite Women's Groups: 50+ Jr. and Sr. High: 50+ Children: 180+ small groups Ministry Teams: 100+
Number of people currently in small groups? (these are not mutually exclusive) Offsite Adult Groups: 2,500+ Onsite Women's Groups: 500+ Jr. and Sr. High: 500+ Children: 1,500+ Ministry Teams: 1000+
Printer view of these results
