March 3, 2010

Continue to mentor someone

¹¹And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ... " Ephesians 4:11, 12

Each of us developing and mentoring others will help them in their growth in Christ ... us too!

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February 25, 2010

Numerical growth tips

Some groups go through seasons where it' seems like few want to attend. The folks over at smallgroupministry.com want to help and have offered a few practical tips to help us through those seasons. As a leader of a group, check them out and apply. ... Especially the share the load principle.

Let me know if you have questions or want to discuss your group dynamics.

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What Makes Groups Grow... a Lot

Josh Hunt recently surveyed more than 1,000 small-group leaders and Sunday-school teachers, asking them what helps their groups to grow. The leaders who use these practices were more than twice as likely to be growing as groups that weren't.

Party! Groups that have at least nine gatherings a year are more than twice as likely (104%) to be growing as the group that has one or fewer gatherings per quarter. Double your parties, double your chances of growing.

So keep inviting. Sometimes they'll come. Sometimes they won't. Sometimes they'll be late. Sometimes they'll be boring. Sometimes they'll be rude. Sometimes they'll be obnoxious. Sometimes they'll come and won't leave. But if you're willing to invite people, you're twice as likely to be growing!

Share the load. Groups with a leadership team of three or more are 115% more likely to report that their groups are growing than those with only the leader or only the leader and one other person. If you want to grow your group, get lots of people involved. These people might include inreach leaders (who invite every member), outreach leaders (who invite everyone else), leaders-in-training, and prayer coordinators.

And if we combine these two first attributes the results are impressive: The high-fellowship / high-team group is 256% more likely to be growing than the low-fellowship / low-team group.

Develop your people skills. Leaders with good people skills are 147% more likely to be growing their groups than those with bad people skills. People skills matter more than visitation, how many parties you have, how you spend your time, what your purpose is, or how many people you have on your team helping you. People skills matter. They matter a lot.

To read the full article, visit us at smallgroupministry.com.

January 21, 2010

..aaand we're back!

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If you have further questions email me at doug@thecrossroadsaz.com. Also let me know if there is an item you would like me to touch on with regard to group leading and such. Thanks!

October 21, 2009

Land Mines of Groups

I read this from Todd Rhodes Blog this week and wanted to share an excerpt. Please beware of these in your group and be honest about them.

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Winfield Bevins just wrote a great piece over at Resurgence about small group landmines. I've seen all of these things happen at one time or another. Take a look at these and tell us (in the comments section) which of these landmines you've experienced the most, and how you've dealt with them...

1. They become a gossip group. Small groups are not a place to talk about others; rather they should be a safe place that is free from gossip and condemnation. People who attend a small group should feel free to come as they are and share openly and honestly. If we are not careful, small groups can degenerate into a gossip group that will tear down instead of build up.

2. They become a one-man show. The leader should not do all the talking. Encourage others to participate and share in the group discussions. I have been to some small groups where only one person does all the talking. When this happens no one wants to share, much less attend. An effective small group leader encourages everyone to participate in the times of discussion.

3. They become a place to complain about the church. Small groups can become a sounding board for disgruntled people to complain about the church. This is not a place to complain and slander the church. If people have a problem with the church, they need to share it with the church’s leadership, which is biblical. Train your leaders to protect the unity of the church by not allowing upset people to use the small group as a place to complain about their problems.

4. They become a place for crazy people to take over. Small groups can attract crazy people who will hijack the group if you let them. Do not allow people to get off the subject by chasing rabbit trails. Whenever people start getting off track in the discussions, bring them back quickly. This requires a lot of discernment and grace. A good leader can keep people on track and the discussion moving.

5. They become an end in themselves. Sometimes small groups become merely a meeting place or a social club; rather small groups should reach out to new people in the community. Small groups can also serve the community. Encourage your people to reach out to others. Begin thinking of creative ways that you can serve together as a small group.

Who's your backup?

An important part of leading is developing a backup and eventually replacing yourself as a leader. Sounds daunting, especially if you are just starting your group. It is a good time to start thinking about it, even just two weeks into grouping.

I follow Mac Lake's blog (possible distant relation, but not confirmed!). He is the Leadership Development Pastor at Seacoast Church in South Carolina. I read this recently and thought it appropriate to our situation.

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I looked around my living room knowing I needed to select an apprentice for my small group but, Who? Who was ready? Who was willing? After praying, surprisingly God seemed to indicate that Roger should be the one. Others in the group had more natural leadership abilities, charisma and tenure as a Christian but there was just something special about Roger’s spirit. I spent the next few months working with him, giving him opportunities to lead, offering him feedback and encouragement. As I elevated him in front of the group he gained confidence. In time he began to hone his leadership skills and before I knew it he had a group of his own that was thriving. I have to admit he was really bad those first couple of months and I questioned my decision but eventually he became one of the best leaders in our church.

Have you ever found yourself looking around your small group wondering, “How do I know who to choose?” Too often we put off the decision and just wait until we find a readymade leader. But the truth is God wants to use you to identify and shape a potential leader. When it comes time to choose an apprentice I use two filtering questions.

First, is there a strong hunger to grow?
A principle I like to share with small group leaders is: growing people, grow people. If someone is growing in their walk with Christ they will be talking about it and there will be undeniable evidenced in their walk. When others get around them they can’t help but be influenced by them. So look for someone who you see growing in their faith.

Second, do they have influence with people?
In Roger’s case people liked him, they listened to him, and they had a respect for him. He wasn’t a good discussion leader and he didn’t know the Bible very well, but people respected him enough that they were patient as he developed.

Do you have an apprentice in your group? If not, my guess is God has placed someone in your group He wants you to identify, recruit and invest in.

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If you need help or have questions about this don't hesitate to ask. Also, let Jim or myself know who you've identified as your apprentice. Leaders go first!