5 Ways COVID-19 Encourages Small Group Ministry to Innovate
There is an upside and a downside to everything.
Sometimes you have to look closely at something to see the upside.
And full disclosure, sometimes you don't see the downside until it happens.
As I look at COVID-19 I'm noticing several upsides.
1. There will be a renewed emphasis on developing and discipling leaders.
The need for leader development and discipleship has suddenly loomed large.
With social-distancing, sheltering-in-place and quarantine, small group leaders are essential to provide genuine care for members. And since whatever you want to happen in the lives of the members of your groups must happen in the lives of their leaders first, we will all need to pay closer attention to discipling and developing leaders.
With social-distancing, sheltering-in-place and quarantine, small group leaders are essential to provide genuine care for members. Click To Tweet
Innovation: How will we do that? How will we develop and disciple leaders? "Training" will be delivered online via services like Zoom Google Hangouts and FaceTime. Training modules will be available on-demand and streamed.
2. Span of Care will be a higher priority and demand more attention.
As Carl George pointed out long ago (and Jethro pointed out to Moses even longer ago), everyone needs to be cared for by somebody but nobody can care for more than (about) 10.
If in the age of COVID-19 you have not figured out that you alone cannot adequately care for the number of people in your congregation (let alone your crowd), then may God help you.
Until the identification, recruitment and development of coaches able to care for (develop and disciple) your leaders becomes a non-negotiable, your ability to truly care for your congregation will remain locked in a long gone era.
Until the identification, recruitment and development of coaches able to care for (develop and disciple) your leaders becomes a non-negotiable, your ability to truly care for your congregation will remain locked in a long gone era. Click To Tweet
Innovation: Make "replacing yourself" (multiplication) your top priority.
3. Personal invite to community will retake the top way connection happens.
For at least two decades the easiest way to connect the largest number of unconnected people has been via connecting events and strategies (small group connection, GroupLink, semester strategies, etc.).
With the advent of COVID-19 comes a renewed opportunity for personal invite. "You should join our group" will seem a natural and normal invitation to friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers who confess their loneliness, anxiety, worry, and sense of loss.
With the advent of COVID-19 comes a renewed opportunity for personal invite. You should join our group will seem a natural and normal invitation to friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers who confess their loneliness, anxiety,… Click To Tweet
As "come over to my house" replaces "meet me at my church," personal invitation to community will retake the top way connection happens.
Innovation: Help your congregation make personal invitation a habit (i.e. "when you hear I feel lonely or stressed, I'm new in town, or I'm trying to figure out what's next")
4. "As Necessary" connection will increase "meeting frequency"
Groups that meet monthly, every other week and even weekly will connect more frequently on-demand. Group texts, Facebook Groups, and quick FaceTime calls will make it ordinary to meet more often.
Innovation: Introduce coaches and leaders to ways Facebook Groups, Google Hangout, and even group texts can increase connection. They may already be connected to family this way. Help coaches and leaders see how to use technology to increase conversation.
5. Hearing from God together will become a top objective of small groups.
As the frequency of on-campus church attendance decreases and the frequency of group connection increases, learning to hear from God together must become a top objective. Community without purpose always devolves to fellowship. Fellowship without hearing from God together is never ultimately satisfying.
As the frequency of on-campus church attendance decreases and the frequency of group connection increases, learning to hear from God together must become a top objective. Community without purpose always devolves to fellowship.… Click To Tweet
As "come over to my house" replaces "meet me at my church" looking to the Bible for direction (instead of relying on the weekend service or a video) will be a more natural invite.
Innovation: Teach group leaders to use a method like Discovery Bible Study to grow in their ability to help members hear from God together.
This post is part of a growing series:
What To Do When You Can’t Meet in Your Auditorium
Can Your Small Groups Meet Online?
How Are You Offering Community to Unconnected People?
5 Ways to Encourage and Develop Leaders and Coaches (during challenging times)
