5 Things I Wish You Knew as You Build Your Small Group Ministry
In some ways, small group ministry is like a puzzle. A big puzzle with lots and lots of pieces.
And in other ways, it is really so simple. It's not complicated. Sure, there are some things that are easy and obvious. And there are other things that might require a coach. Someone who has been there before.
There are some things I just wish everyone knew as they build their small group ministry. And believe me, the word "as" is an important word. A very important word.
You see, some things are so important they must be done concurrently. You can't really build a thriving small group ministry in a growing church (or in a catch a moving train scenario) if you try to do one piece at a time.
5 things I wish you knew:
1. You must build your coaching structure as you're launching groups.
If you believe what I do about unconnected people, you will spot this imperative right away. You will know you don't have time to build a coaching structure first. You will also know that you can't expect to sustain the new groups you launch if you aren't building an effective coaching structure. It's not either/or. It's both/and.
If you believe what I do about unconnected people, you will spot this imperative right away. You will know you don't have time to build a coaching structure first. You will also know that you can't expect to sustain the new groups you… Click To Tweet
See also, 5 Obstacles to Building an Effective Coaching Structure.
2. You must focus on launching new groups as you are training leaders to fish for new members.
If you want to build a thriving small group ministry you must focus on launching new groups. If you want to build a thriving small group ministry you must help existing small groups learn to fish for new members (rather than relying on you to send them new members). Existing leaders will always want to be prioritized. Catering to the weakest is a losing proposition.
If you want to build a thriving small group ministry you must focus on launching new groups while helping existing small groups learn to fish for new members. Click To Tweet
See also, Critical Decision: Add Members to Existing Groups vs. Launching New Groups.
3. You must work hard to sustain new groups as you're prioritizing new groups.
Related to the previous thing I wish you knew, this is slightly different. Launching new groups must be your priority but working hard to sustain as many of your newest groups as possible is an essential activity. It is not a nice extra. Launching new groups, whether via a church-wide campaign, small group connection, or short-term on-campus strategy, takes a lot of energy. Anytime this much energy is expended, you must capitalize. To launch new groups without a well-thought-out, detailed plan to sustain as many new groups as possible is to waste energy.
Launching new groups must be your priority but working hard to sustain as many of your newest groups as possible is an essential activity. Click To Tweet
See also, 5 Steps to Sustaining the New Groups You Launch.
4. You must position your senior pastor as small group champion as you become a behind-the-scenes strategist.
You may believe you are the best on your staff team at casting vision for community. You may actually be the best on your staff team at casting vision for community. It doesn't matter. The most influential person in almost every church is the senior pastor. Exceptions are very, very, rare. If you want to build a thriving small group ministry you must leverage the influence of the most influential person in the church. And you must own the behind-the-scenes "strategery." If you're not yet a great strategist, become one. Read the best books and blogs. Listen to the right podcasts. Go to the right conferences. Network with the smartest people. Building a thriving small group ministry requires leveraging the most influential person and becoming a shrewd strategist.
If you want to build a thriving small group ministry you must leverage the influence of the most influential person in the church (the senior pastor). Click To Tweet
See also, Your Senior Pastor as Small Group Champion Leads to a Church OF Groups.
5. You must focus on making disciples as you connect connect unconnected people.
Never let anyone tell you connecting people and making disciples is an either/or proposition. Anyone who suggests this is an either/or needs to re-read the Gospels. The only worthwhile small group systems, models or strategies make disciples as they connect unconnected people. Almost everyone who suggests making disciples requires a separate program for disciple-making is hoping to sell you something.
Never let anyone tell you connecting people and making disciples is an either/or proposition. Anyone who suggests this is an either/or needs to re-read the Gospels. Click To Tweet
See also, 5 Keys to Building a Small Group Ministry at the Corner of "Belonging" and "Becoming".
What do you think? Have a question? Want to argue? You can click here to jump into the conversation.
Image by Cliff
Hi Mark, Another great blog post. Just wondering if those who read the post will understand that there’s a difference between making a mature disciple who is then ready to make disciples and someone being in a group who is then capable of leading a group of their own. There’s quite a difference between gathering people in groups and making mature multiplying disciples of those who are in those groups. The expectations of a growing disciple are quite different than the expectations set for most group members. While those who are in a stereotypical group will grow spiritually they will never grow to full maturity if they aren’t studying God’s Word consistently, praying for others daily, sharing Christ with others, making sacrifices for the Kingdom of God, etc… And, in most instances, churches that make the primary goal getting high percentages of people into groups are asking little of them because asking much of a group member is a deterrent to the masses joining a group. It’s a proven principle, “The more you ask of people, the fewer people you have involved in group life,” or anything else. This is why many groups point people are wisely creating a second environment, one other than the small group, for the purpose of making disciples. They realize that few will commit to the expectations necessary to grow to full maturity and that the group ministry’s responsibility is to grow people to full maturity. Let’s face it, when a group ministry determines that any expectation between group meetings is a deterrent to getting people into groups so they request nothing of them between meetings, people involved in that group ministry will never reach full maturity. They may stick and tithe and serve a program that the church has in place, but they will never become fully mature Christ followers.
Creating a second environment for disciple making isn’t just a conversation, it’s becoming a movement. I think this is true because many of us are looking over our shoulders and realizing that we created groups and through those groups got people to stick (We closed the back door well by meeting the felt needs of people.) but didn’t make mature disciples of them. The new generation of groups pastors have moved beyond just getting people into groups, they’re striving to grow them to full maturity because they realize, in the present and future western culture, those in their groups will have to do more than just have a community to hang with and learn with, they are in need of a deep sacrificial faith and meaningful levels of biblical and doctrinal understanding. Why? So they are spiritually mature enough to and capable of defending the faith and sharing the gospel in a dark, spiritually confused world. And, in order for that to happen, the goal must be to move every group member through the stages of spiritual growth… Dead in Christ, Spiritual Babe, Spiritual Infant, Spiritual Young Adult, and Spiritual Parent.
The responsibility of a groups point person isn’t to get people to stick, it’s to, “present everyone mature in Christ.” (Colossians 1:28) And this may demand a second disciple making environment.
Rick
Thanks for jumping in here, Rick. I do appreciate your investment. At the same time, I don’t believe a second environment is necessary. In fact, I believe the existence of a second environment often creates an unnecessary barrier. It is my opinion that the way to make more and better disciples is to follow Jesus’ pattern. He was the master of the crowd to core strategy that made it easy to begin and then continually presented a next step.
There is no question that some group systems are only about connecting and closing back doors. That is not my objective and actually the point of #5 above. I want small group point people to know that you must focus on making disciples as you connect unconnected people. It is a both/and proposition.
mark
Mark,
I concur with Rick that this is a great post. I focused on #5 as well. I agree with you that small groups should be disciple-making. The exceptions might include the small group focused on being the church’s front door for the unsaved or the care/support group. Each of these have a specialized purpose that is different than the typical small group.
The advantage of a dedicated discipleship program may be the pace of spiritual growth, but it will likely miss other advantages the small group provides. Another difference is that a dedicated program will be made up of members who are all highly motivated to change. In a small group, the level of motivation will vary significantly.
I believe it starts with the purpose that gives the small group meaning. If it is all about numbers and not spiritual growth, it starts looking more like a book club. The Bible says we are not to be hearers only. This means small groups need to have part of their purpose to encourage the learning and action needed for each member to continually grow spiritually.
I believe a disciple-making program and small group program can work together in a church. But I agree that disciple-making can also occur within the small group if that is part of its purpose. However, I suspect doing this will probably not get the high small group attendance percentages some churches are setting goals to realize.
Great thoughts. I’ve just come on as Pastor at a smaller church (250 in worship). Our primary small group vehicle is Bible Fellowship (Sunday School). I’ve launched in home small groups to go alongside Sunday School at a previous Church. I believe we will be doing the same thing here. The Bible Fellowship has stagnated and has been done the same way for years. Any thoughts on how to get these two diverse types of groups to create the same thing – growing disciples?
What I hear Rick saying is that now I’m going to need another group on top of these two to really make disciples. That makes my head spin. I respect both you and Rick and appreciate the conversation. Thanks for your response.
I’m with you, Mark. We’re both pursuing Jesus’ pattern of disciple making. We may just have differing perspectives on what that pattern is. I’m asking myself… Are the expectations of a disciple who is part of the crowd different than that of a disciple who is part of the core? If so, when in Scripture did Jesus differentiate the expectations of His disciples when it came to following His teachings, practicing His practices, and learning and living His expectations? Not arguing with you, Mark. My years with the Navigators unearthed some interesting, convincing, and unquestionable practices of growing disciples, practices that seem to be perceived as unnecessary in some settings. Loving the conversation!
Thanks for jumping in here, Roger. My main contention with #5 is that ordinary run-of-the-mill groups ought to have “disciple-making” in their DNA. At the same time, I always want to make clear that the “disciple-making” I am talking about is not a class or the completion of a curriculum. It is mostly about life-on-life, leader to member. I believe the implementation of a separate discipleship program almost always results in confusion about who needs it and what it is for. I would always rather focus on developing leaders who will do TO and FOR the members the things that will help them learn to effortlessly do what Jesus would do if He were them.
Thank you for jumping in here Jim. I would urge caution in the creation of a program or group experience that is solely about making disciples, as it will allow the focus of run-of-the-mill small groups to be comfortable in the role of just being about closing the back door. As I pointed out to Roger above, I would always rather focus on developing leaders for normal groups who will do TO and FOR the members the things that will help them learn to effortlessly do what Jesus would do if He were them.
All good things to think about. #5 is at the root of several of my most tightly held beliefs in part because I want to focus on developing group leaders who will do TO and FOR the members the things that will help them learn to effortlessly do what Jesus would do if He were them. I don’t believe I need a separate discipleship program to do that. See where I’m going?