One of the most important current grouplife trends is a more intentional discipleship effort.  LifePoint Church is a good example of this trend.  A dynamic, growing multi-site church that has a heart for its community, its region of Middle Tennessee, and the world through global initiatives, LifePoint has been very intentional about the development of its discipleship strategy.

Eddie Mosley is the Executive Pastor of GroupLife at LifePoint Church.  I recently had the opportunity to ask him to give some insights into their dicipleship direction.

Mark: I know that LifePoint is launching a new discipleship pathway called The Christ Centered Journey.  What’s motivating your new emphasis?

Eddie: LifePoint’s purpose statement is “Leading people to a Christ centered life.”  We continually evaluate the progress of our discipleship and evangelism efforts so that we can help people become Christ centered.  Following the release of the REVEAL study from Willow Creek Association we developed our own Journey Map.  The Journey Map helped us think about classes, groups and resources we were offering for various stages of spiritual maturity.

What we have now not only helps individuals identify where they are on the journey, but enables them to help others in their group by identifying where a person is on the journey, the needs that stage has and next steps (whether that be a class, a resource, a conversation, etc) that will help them move toward the next stage.  The Christ Centered Journey helps someone move along the Journey Map to be Christ-Centered.  Real Life Discipleship by Jim Putman was a big influence in developing our Discipleship Pathway.

Mark: Is this an all church emphasis?  Is it broader than just small groups?

Eddie: LifePoint is a church of Small Groups, therefore this is a church-wide strategy.  It is more than an emphasis as it is being used to determine classes, curriculum and events to facilitate movement on the Christ Centered Journey.  This Christ Centered Journey (for discipleship) is also being mirrored by a Leadership Pathway that our Executive Pastor of Worship Programming, Jason Stewart, is designing (@stewonline).

Mark: What are you anticipating the Pathway will do for your members?

Eddie: The conversations that have resulted from the four-week roll out of the Journey have been encouraging.  People are sharing that they have a new understanding of their life in Christ.  No longer is it to just get “baptized and attend church.”  The Journey shows the needs of each stage and offers a next step for them in order to move on the journey to become more Christ centered.  We are anticipating this will become known as a clear plan for individuals and leaders that will help them shepherd and apprentice those around them to become Christ centered.

Mark: Have you already defined some measurements you’ll take to determine if the new direction is working?

Eddie: We are currently designing Christ Centered metrics that measure how well we are moving people along the Journey.  At LifePoint, we’ve identified five characteristics of a disciple and want to partner with every member for personal development of these.  These characteristics are introduced in  Discover LifePoint, a one time class offered every month at our campuses.  As we point toward the characteristics of Worship, Biblical Community, Service, Influence and Generosity, we want to be able to evaluate how well we are doing in helping people live out these characteristics.  There will be weekly, monthly and even quarterly reporting that will guide us in planning for the next season.

Mark: Is it something you’ll be growing into over time?  Or will you be at full speed right away?  How will you roll it out?

Eddie: The Christ Centered Journey was initially rolled out via a Wednesday night series. We will continue to use it as we train Small Group leaders with the continued initial introduction to everyone through Discover LifePoint. Although we have already begun to implement this Journey, we realize there are going to be adjustments as we communicate it more and continually evaluate via our metrics.

Mark: Really appreciate your insight and input!  Thanks for taking the time to explain the process that you’re introducing at LifePoint!

If you missed my article on current grouplife trends, you can read it right here.

I’m regularly asked how Saddleback can have more adults in groups than they have in worship.  People everywhere scoff when they hear the numbers.  And I have to admit, it is pretty wild.  After all, during Life’s Healing Choices, their most recent church-wide campaign, they had over 4,500 groups with over 35,000 people in them while their worship attendance was averaging 22,000 to 26,000!  (By the way, that’s not preacher talk.  Their database supported those numbers in September)

Ever looked at their numbers and shaken your head in disbelief…or amazement?  Here are my top 10  keys to understanding how they do it:

1. Saddleback talks about groups all year long.  While there may be certain weeks where group life gets even more attention (early fall as they launch their annual church-wide campaign, first of the year to catch people who have just made commitments at a Christmas Eve service or want to start the new year fresh, just after Easter for the same reason), they talk about the importance of being in a group every weekend.
2. It doesn’t matter who’s preaching (Rick Warren, Doug Fields, Tom Holladay, etc.), they talk about groups every weekend.  They talk about the power of group life and they mention their own group.
3. It doesn’t matter what message series they’re in, they talk about being in a group every weekend.  For example, during a 2007 message series on recovery they featured a different testimony each week on the power of being in a group (Celebrate Recovery, Divorce Care, Grief Care, etc.).
4. They have systematically made it easier to start new groups.  “If you have a heart for unconnected people, are willing to open your home for 6 weeks, serve a few refreshments, and tell a few friends…you can be a host.”  This is a huge point because they’ve recognized that there will be problems, they acknowledge going in that not all of them will make it, and yet they are committed to helping as many begin as possible because they know that every host is the best person to reach certain people.
5. They have systematically lowered the bar in terms of who can lead a group.  If you’re inviting your own friends and neighbors, why should you have to be Jesus Jr.?  They’ve provided great next steps for new hosts designed to help them get started and grow in Christ, but they’re not waiting until they have it all together.
6. They regularly develop new DVD-driven small group curriculum that is easy to use and can be facilitated by new and inexperienced leaders.  Just-add-water and plug-and-play accurately describe the degree of difficulty.
7. They immediately connect each of their newest leaders with a coach who can help them through the beginning stages.
8. Their newest groups are given a follow-up curriculum that is equally easy to use.  They don’t wait until they ask what’s next.  They actually begin talking about what’s next before the first series is completed.
9. Their topics for church-wide campaigns are carefully designed to appeal to the crowd.
10. A regular strategy is to ask their existing small groups to consider taking a small group vacation during church-wide campaigns and instead of meeting together, step out and help start new groups.

I believe an underlying principle for Saddleback is that they are always looking for a better way, an angle, that will help them connect more people.  I remember when everyone thought the Connection idea was crazy even as it launched over 800 groups and connected over 7,000 people in them.  I remember when the HOST idea first began to be used and many people thought it was completely crazy to allow someone to sign up to open their home.  What will be next?  It’ll probably seem crazy.  It may or may not work.  And I’ll be holding my breath…because if it works who knows what could happen!

“The optimal environment for life change is a small group.”  No doubt you’ve heard that line over the years and even used it yourself to explain the importance of a thriving small group ministry.  But is life change automatic?  And if  it’s not automatic, what has to happen to produce it?  What are the essential ingredients of life change?   Can they be identified?

Let’s tackle those questions one at a time.  First, clearly life change is anticipated, but not automatic.  Right?  A few years ago I met a man who told me he had been in a small group with the same four men for 32 years. 32 years!  That is amazing.   But while it’s amazing, don’t we all know of groups that become great friends but no one ever changes?   I wanted to ask, “Where’s God working on your life right now?  How’s your group helping with that?”  But…that was a conversation that didn’t happen.

I love Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of Paul’s words in Philippians 3:13-14: “I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me.  Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus.  I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.” I think the same thing every time I read those words.  If Paul saw that he wasn’t there yet, then I’m not either, and that is my goal.

So how does it happen?  If life change is not automatic, how can it be produced?   And what are the essential ingredients?   Let me at least lay down a few ideas.

• Intentionality.   While growth can be spontaneous and happen without a plan, determining a destination and the steps that lead there is a key step.  I’ve found that some kind of assessment that leads to a plan is an essential ingredient.
• Authentic life-on-life interaction.   Some version of accountability, whether you’re implementing the idea of a spiritual partner or something less formal you’re unlikely to see real change without this ingredient.
• Learning that is guided.  While some of your group members may be able to find their way without guidance, most will wander aimlessly.  Providing study material that leads in the right direction is very important.
• Balancing the purposes.  One of the best developments to come out of the Purpose Driven movement is the conviction that growth happens as a result of health and healthy is a result of balance.   Spending all your time and energy on fellowship and discipleship at the expense of ministry and evangelism will not produce genuine life change.  Using a tool such as the Purpose Driven Health Assessment will help you to see where you’re out of balance.
• Personal time for prayer and reflection.  Time in God’s word, journaling, memorizing scripture, prayer…are all essential ingredients and must be part of any plan.

Thoughts?   We’d love to hear what you’ve found helpful in the journey.  In fact, would you take a moment and complete our 3 question survey?  Click Here to take our survey!

Have you ever made the decision to lose weight or start exercising (or any number of other things) only to find that you really couldn’t do it alone?  The benefit of a training partner or participating in a weight-watchers group is unquestioned.  Yet, when it comes to spiritual next steps, most of us attempt to make changes without the benefit of a partner for accountability and encouragement.  Why?  There are several very understandable reasons:

1. We’re private people and uncomfortable sharing what’s really going on in our lives.
2. We’re afraid to be the first to ask for help.  Very much like Junior High dances…no one wants to go first.
3. Even when we know we need help, most of us are great procrastinators.

Can I make a suggestion?  Isn’t it time to take a first step?  Aren’t you really ready to put your toe in the water?  If you’re ready, let me give you a simple way to begin:

1. Test drive the idea of a spiritual training partner with a limited first step.  The next time your small group meets try pairing up at the end of the session to share prayer requests and pray together.  Guys with guys and gals with gals.  Nothing permanent, just for the session.
2. The next time your group meets, look over the study ahead of time and decide which of the questions lend themselves to "sub-dividing."  Rather than doing every question as a large group together, sub-dividing into groups of 2 to 4 allows your members to participate more fully.  Have them stay together to share prayer requests and pray.
3. Print off copies of the Purpose Driven Health Assessment and ask your members to complete it.  Then, take advantage of the growing familiarity your group has with sub-dividing to ask them to pair up with someone (guys with guys, gals with gals) and have them share their results.  A next great step is to have your members use the results from the assessment and create a Health Plan.

Craig Groeschel recently posted an excellent set of questions that could be used for members who really want to grow spiritually.  You can find them right here.

The spiritual discipline of accountability is an essential ingredient in the life-change process.  Few of us really have the capacity to change on our own. Why not take advantage of these steps to move in this direction?

The optimal environment for life change is a small group. 

We’ve all heard that line for years.  Most of us have said that line so frequently that it is now an automatic response when we hear a counter opinion.  And yet…is it really true?  And if it is true, is it a given?  Or does something have to happen to cause the life change?  If it is true, what are the conditions that make it true?

These are your questions too, right?  If you’re the small group expert at your place, aren’t these questions at least bubbling up from time to time when it’s really quiet in your office?  I know this has been a steady inner dialogue for me over the last years.

Don’t get me wrong.  I believe that the optimal delivery system for life change is a small group.  You can read a little more right here about what I think.  I just have gotten to the point where I’m very pragmatic about the steps that lead to life change.  See…I’ve found that it’s not automatic.  There are some ingredients that must be present to produce life change.  You know it too.  Here’s one of the most important ingredients:

Whatever you want to happen at the member level, must be part of the experience of the leader.  Another way that I say it is that "whatever you want to happen at the member level you have to do to and for the leader of the group."  Here’s what I mean.  If you want the members of your groups to feel cared for, then the leader of the group will have to know how to care for them and actually do that.  After all, a person can only give away what they already have.  Does that make sense?  Here’s another.  If you want your members to experience loving accountability, then the leader of the group will have to know how to do that and actually do it.  How will that happen?  The leader will have to be experiencing that in their own life.

Are you tracking?  It’s a no-brainer, right?  Makes sense, doesn’t it?  Whatever you want to happen at the member level, you have to do to and for the leader of the group.  The leader can only give away what they have.

And what follows naturally is this question: How will the leaders of your groups experience what you want them to be able to give away?  My contention?  Somehow you will have to do to and for your leaders whatever you want them to provide to the members of your groups.  End of story.  How will that happen?  The obvious answer is, "some kind of coaching or mentoring solution."  In that obvious answer is a whole series of posts.  But here’s the point for starters.  Whatever you want to happen at the member level must begin in you.  Ultimately, it begins with you.  If you’re running on fumes, if you’re only what you need to be on the very surface of your life, that’s what you’ll have to give away.  And that my friends is at the core of the life change question.

Thoughts?  Anyone?  Anyone?

One of my blogosphere buddies is speaking at the National Outreach Convention in November on a topic that we’ve begun talking about here: making disciples.  Here’s the short description of his talk:

"If we are serious about accomplishing the mission of Jesus we can
no longer be satisfied with “raise your hand”, “sign a card” or “walk
the aisle” decisions. Every church and leader that is on mission with
God sees the need to move people toward becoming Christ Followers who
love God, love God’s people and love God’s world. In this workshop you
will make three discoveries: 1. a process for how to develop followers
of Jesus; 2. a metric that allows church leaders to track individuals
and a church’s spiritual development; 3. a church that can accomplish
the mission of Jesus."

Doesn’t that sound like something we need to talk about?  It really is so much more than a decision.  And from a small group standpoint it really is way more than counting how many people are in your small group ministry.  Instead, it’s about how the people who are in your small group ministry are becoming different.