Launching Small Group Ministry

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Launching Small Group Ministry

• Source Carl George and Bill Donahue

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The Original Small Group

• Jesus and the 12
• Building a community to reach a community
• Not only gathering to build community, to invite
  people into community
• The purpose of small groups is to gather,
  develop/transform, and serve others (in and
  beyond the group)

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What does your churchs small groups ministry
look like?

• 1. No groups
• 2. Groups as a program
• 3. Groups as a core value
• Permeates every aspect of every part of church
  life

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With or Of Small Groups?

• A Church With Groups
• Helps people find place in the church
• Get in a group through a placement system
• Joining a group is optional
• Led by reactive shepherd
• Meetings structured by program, curriculum
• Low monitoring of groups
• Evangelism is possible in group

• A Church Of Groups
• Helps people build community
• Groups invite people
• Essential to growth
• Led by proactive shepherd
• Meetings structured by strategy
• High monitoring of groups
• Evangelism is group mandated

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How to select a point leader

• Who has empty space on plate?
• Divide and conquer (each staffer take a little
  piece)
• Or by call and giftedness

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A Better Way

• A). Who has characteristics desired?
• Spiritual gift of leadership, administration
• Passion
• Experience (have they built anything?)
• Often not a paid staffer
• B). What is their role?
• Banner-waver
• Team-builder

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How to choose a structure

• 1. Define span of care
• No more than 1 leader to 12 participants
• 2. Identify ministry roles
• What will shepherd/coach do?
• Staff roles?
• 3. Move toward ministry alignment
• How does this fit in with the core values of the
  church?
• Vs. federation of silos

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How to Identify Group Leaders

• Affections what do they love?
• Reputation what do others say about them?
• Experience do they have leadership track record
  in other settings?

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How to Launch some Groups

• 1. Model group
• You have a leader and build a group around that
  leader
• 2. Turbo group
• You have a number of leaders and you put them
  together in a sample group to launch several
  groups
• Make the expectation for participation an exit
  after set time

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Assessing and Refining Groups

• Are they
• Gathering?
• Creating community
• Building FDFXs?
• Producing Disciples
• Deploying servants?

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Phases in Development

• Discovering candidates
• Orienting to role
• Coaching and debriefing leaders
• Training coaches

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Developing Apprentices

• A pre-leadership place where you can learn
• To be and to have apprentices
• Creating apprenticeship tradition in your church
  culture
• Use tool (ie. Find X Survey)

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Pre-apprentice Behaviors

• Betray above-average interest in the group
• Offer assignments
• Ie. Start group if 5 minutes late
• Offer core commitments
• Carl George 9 Commitments
• 2-5 are leader-maker dimensions
• 800-936-2568 or www.metachurch.com

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1. Connect

• I will be available for debriefing interviews
  with the church staff
• Legitimates authority of church leader
• Deputizes beyond personal charisma
• Sets boundaries and expectations through a
  covenant

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2. Recruit

• I will recruit my replacement(s)/apprentices
  before we begin meeting with the group, and I
  will help them develop the ability to lead.
• Makes me part of leadership development
  tradition/culture of replicating myself via
  modeling

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3. Invite

• I will reach out between meetings, cultivating
  both old and new contacts.
• The between-meeting job of keeping group energy
  and focus

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4. Prepare

• I will prepare my mind and heart for our
  meetings and include our apprentice in the
  process.

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5. Meet

• I will conduct meetings that encourage believers
  and accept seekers.
• Beyond duty and into encouragement

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6. Bring

• I will bring group members to worship for the
  churchs weekend services.

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7. Serve

• I will serve others with my gifts, knowledge,
  time, energy, and money, conscious that my
  greatest influence may occur by example.

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8. Win

• I will make time to build acquaintances with
  unbelievers, serving them at their points of
  struggle.

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9. Seek

• I will meet regularly with God in private
  prayer.
• Teaches by example that life with God is the
  highest value

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Coaching Roles

• 1. Develop leaders
• 2. Provide pastoral care
• 3. Support and expand ministry
• In huddles (modeling community), group visits
  (affirming on site and making observations) and
  one-on-one visits with the group leader

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Debriefing Leaders

• One-on-one monthly meetings
• Structured by prepared questions
• Carl George handout read verbatim
• Offers excuse to surface tough issues
• Done with an eye toward developing coaches
  (sideline) out of group leaders (on field)

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3-2-1 Coach Development

• 3 chairs, 3 calls, 3 people present
• Coach/apprentice coach/group leader
• 2 debriefing interviews, 2 hours (1 hour each)
• Coach does first one, apprentice 2
• 1 reflection, coach to coach
• how did your interview just now go?

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Conclusions

• To move from a church with small groups to a
  church of small groups, we have to make build a
  culture of
• Being purpose-driven
• Apprenticing, coaching and leadership development
• Assessment and CQI

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Launching Small Group Ministry

• Dr. John P. Chandler
• www.rasnet.org
• Copy Right John P. Chandler, 2001