By agreeing to be a group leader, you have taken on the critical task of shepherding a portion of the congregation. With prayer and proper preparation, your group will be an environment where community and discipleship coexist. Here are a few things you will need to do to help ensure the successful launch of the […]
The new year always brings feelings of hope and excitement for what’s possible in the next season of life. There’s nothing specifically different about the actual day or month, but we often use it to reset our life goals and aspirations. It’s a great time to kick off that fitness goal, or Bible reading plan, […]
Who doesn’t love the fall season? College and pro football games are back. The air is a little more crisp in the morning. Sweaters and boots can finally come out of the boxes in the attic. It’s a great time of the year! Fall can also be a productive season for your group, where group […]
Everyone is about to be at your church at the same time. At least, that’s how it will feel when school starts back in August. It can get depressing for church leaders to see lower numbers in church and groups during the summer. Vacations and altered schedules can make it feel like the church has […]
Every time Jesus makes someone more like Himself, it is a miracle. If we are honest about our own hearts we will admit that discipleship is truly miraculous. If your church has decided that discipleship occurs best within a small community of believers, then your goal should be to develop leaders to lead those communities […]
We all need community. In fact, we were designed by God to be in community. You can see it modeled for us with the perfect relationship of the Trinity in Genesis. Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds […]
A common tension with a lot of small group point people is defining what an “official” small group is at their church. A broader definition will add to the number of groups and look good on the scorecard, but are they effectively creating disciples? It’s vital that church leadership teams come to an agreement on […]
I had the opportunity a few years ago to hear Mark Miller from Chick-fil-A speak at a leadership event in Dallas, Texas. Mark was sharing about how they have built a strong leadership culture at Chick-fil-A. He said one of the keys to sustained leadership development is the capacity of the leader. Humans have […]
I’m not much of a handyman. When something breaks at our house, my first instinct is to call in a professional who knows what he’s doing. What I have discovered (several hundreds of dollars in service bills later) is that a lot of the time, the only thing stopping me from doing the repair job […]
While it is extremely important for the senior pastor to be an advocate for groups in the church, there may be some work to do to get him there. A church without the pastor as the champion for groups will typically max out at around 40 percent who connect in groups. There are a few […]