SmallGroups.com

Healthy closure of any group experience is extremely important. It can help group members process and define their experience and positively set the stage for a new group. On the other hand, poor group closure can lead to barriers for a member's future involvement with groups.

Poor group closure can occur for a variety of reasons, including:

1. Lack of casting a vision for launching a new group, which ...

Topics:	Closure, Ending groups, Life cycles, Relaunching
Filters:	Coach, Host, Leader, Start
Purpose:	Fellowship
References:	Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 14:13-16, Luke 22:19, John 16:29-33, John 17:6-10
Date Added:	July 30, 2007

While serving conventional churches, many have experienced difficulty in getting small groups up and running. It might make you wonder what makes it so difficult to get them started. Here are a couple of thoughts, as well as a few suggestions, for getting them started.

1. Status Quo. Many in church like the status quo, and they do not care for changes. Getting involved in a small group involves changing patterns.
   
   

Topics:	Fellowship, Launching, Leadership, Recruiting members, Relaunching, Starting groups, Values
Filters:	Coach, Director, Group Leader, Start
Purpose:	Discipleship
References:	Matthew 10, Luke 10:1-24, 1 Corinthians 2:6-16
Date Added:	October 12, 2005

In 1992 I wrote a manual that guided the specifics of our small group ministry, including our programmed vacations. This is what I wrote in 1992:

We observe several 'breaks' during the year:

• One month break from the 1st week of December to the 1st week of January
  
  
• Two week break during the Easter season
  
  
• Two month break during the summer time
  
  

I figured this strategy would ease the leadership load and encourage ...

Topics:	Breaks, Calendar, Community, Fellowship, Relaunching, Values
Filters:	Coach, Director, Group Leader, Organize
Purpose:	Discipleship
References:	Hebrews 10:25
Date Added:	July 12, 2001

When small group ministry goes through a significant downturn or decline, it may become necessary to declare the ministry terminally ill and begin planning and praying for a resurrection. The resurrection may involve a total restart of the ministry.

More often, a small group ministry receives a diagnosis of sick rather than terminal. The sickness may have the symptoms of declining participation, little ...

Topics:	Assessment, Evaluation, Launching, Life cycles, Questions, Relaunching, Starting groups
Filters:	Coach, Director, Pastor, Start
Purpose:	Ministry
References:	Proverbs 29:18, 2 Timothy 4:5
Date Added:	January 12, 2007

Note: Click Key Principles for Re-Launching to see a free article from this resource.

This Training Theme is designed for churches that have launched small-groups programs in the past, but are still waiting for the ministry to fully take root. It's also for churches that encountered a negative experience with small groups in the past, but want to try again. As a Training Theme, this download is designed ...

Topics:	Birthing groups, Campaign, Closure, Director, Launching, New groups, Relaunching, Starting groups
Filters:	Coach, Director, Group Leader, Pastor, Start
Purpose:	Ministry
References:	Proverbs 24:32, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, James 5:14
Date Added:	June 20, 2007

Note: Click E-Groups to see a free article from this resource.

Discover the transforming power of small groups. Whether you are starting a new small groups ministry in your church or revitalizing an existing one, this theme offers you many valuable tools. An interview with Russ Robinson, pastor of Meadowbrook Church in New Jersey and former Director of Small Groups at Willow Creek Community Church, ...

Topics:	Attendance, Church growth, Growing, Growth, numerical, Launching, Multiplication, Relaunching, Starting groups
Filters:	Coach, Director, Group Leader, Pastor, Start
Purpose:	Discipleship
References:	Acts 2:46-47, Hebrews 10:24-25
Date Added:	October 18, 2006

RESTART YOUR GROUP THIS YEAR WITH EXCITEMENT! Here are just a few ideas for getting back together. Pick several of them to do as a group.

• Barbecue first! Before jumping into a new study, take time to get reacquainted by having a party. This is a great chance to invite some new folks who might come to a backyard barbecue before they'd consider coming to a Bible study. You could also make this a picnic at a local park or the zoo.
  
  

Topics:	Breaks, Community, Fellowship, Fun, Leadership, Life cycles, Relaunching
Filters:	Coach, Director, Group Leader, Start
Purpose:	Fellowship
References:	Proverbs 17:22, Ecclesiastes 3:1-4
Date Added:	August 12, 1999

Note: This article has been excerpted from the SmallGroups.com training tool called Re-Launching a Small-Groups Ministry.

John Atkinson is the discipleship pastor and home-teams director for Bay Area Fellowship in Corpus Christi, Texas. He is co-author of Go Big with Small Groups.

Building Small Groups: Can you give us a brief summary of your experience with re-launching a small-groups ministry?

John ...

Topics:	Assessment, Leadership, Planning, Relaunching, Strategy, Vision
Filters:	Director, Pastor, Start
Purpose:	Discipleship
References:	Proverbs 29:18
Date Added:	June 18, 2007

Often small groups become a place in the church, where "every person (or small group) does what is right in his own eyes." Too often small groups operate independently like nation states, where the individual groups choose curriculum, choose frequency of meeting, and refuse any governing or leadership structure but their own. Everything tends to move toward chaos.

If that's where your small group ministry ...

Topics:	Hospitality, Launching, Leadership, Planning, Publicity, Recruiting leaders, Relaunching
Filters:	Director, Pastor, Start
Purpose:	Fellowship
References:	Romans 12:12-13
Date Added:	September 19, 2003