FAQ: Shouldn’t Every Group Have a Vision to Multiply?

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Where do you stand on the whole birthing issue? Are you pro-birthing? Neutral? Apathetic? Or, maybe you’ve moved on, putting your eggs in the basket of other, more effective strategies?

I recently got a great comment on an earlier post (I See Dead Groups) that really begged for a thoughtful response, but as I began to answer…it was just clear that it deserved a full post.

The basic idea of I See Dead Groups was that (1) most small groups have a life-span of 18 to 24 months, (2) the key vital sign is life-change, (3) groups can be dead (no life-change) and not know it, and (4) it’s really in the best interest of the group for us to have an awareness of the signs of a dead group (I suggest you read the article and come back).

Here’s the readers reaction:

I appreciate the article and definitely get group lifespan, but I would personally like to think of things in more positive terms than the “dead” group analogy. Maybe I would take a seemingly life-less group through those assessment questions but then add in the vision of multiplying–producing new life. The gist from the article that I get is that a group would end and that is that. Seems a bit short-changed. I’d rather cast a vision about a group multiplying out and forming new groups. So I guess instead of seeing a “dead” group, I may see a “time-to-multiply” group.

Let me say first that I love that optimism! And, of course, you could certainly put a more positive spin on the terminology.

I’d have several reactions to the comment:

First, there is an upside to emphasizing a kingdom-minded approach that prioritizes the needs of others. So…is it healthy to cast the vision? Probably. After all, everyone ought to be looking out for more than their own interests (Philippians 2:3-4).

Second, the key for me in regards to the viability of birthing as a group multiplication strategy is what I call the “how’s it workin’ so far?” test. There’s nothing wrong with the vision that good groups grow and birth (one of the Top 10 Axiomatic Beliefs of GroupLife). The vision is not the problem. The problem is that birthing rarely happens. Nowhere is the great Winston Churchill line more telling:

“However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.”

Third, I realize that the emphasis on diagnosing the vital signs of existing groups (to be on the lookout for dead groups) may give the impression that I’m favor of group euthanasia. Really not the case. Instead, I’m in favor of a very proactive and intentional attention to the development of healthy groups that are about authentic life-change.

Finally, it’s important for me to point out that many small group ministry practitioners are finding that it’s much easier to start new groups than it is to get existing groups to multiply. If more groups and more people connected is the goal there are at least three much easier ways to launch new groups.

What do you think? Got a question? Want to argue? You can click here to jump into the conversation.

Posted in Frequently Asked Questions, Small Group Strategy

9 Comments

Michael Sove on July 13, 2011 at 12:04 pm

I love raising up leaders and planting new groups. I have found that to be the most effective way to expand the base. I have been doing this since 1995.

Anonymous on July 13, 2011 at 12:29 pm

Thanks for jumping in here Michael! New groups are one of the keys to effective small group ministries that connect beyond the usual suspects (http://www.markhowelllive.com/top-5-advantages-of-new-small-groups/).

mark

Craig Mattes on July 13, 2011 at 4:06 pm

Mark, definitely more groups and more people connected is the big goal! And your question, “How’s it working’ so far?” is crucial to ask and be honest about. In our small group ministry we are seeing group multiplication when it is connected to coaching. Coaching is a huge deal for us. I would say (following the Lord’s work in it all) that coaching is our foundation for multiplying groups and it is how we structure our small group ministry. We don’t have it all figured out. We have a lot of room for growth. But we are moving in an exciting direction. (God more than doubled our coaches during this last year which we are PRAISING him for!) Besides God’s Word, the main tool/resource we use in our coaching is the “8 Habits of Effective Small Group Leaders.” All of our leaders are given a copy of this book. And over time the coach and leader work through it together, as a journey. Not every congregation is equipped with a coaching structure. Not every church have the funds to provide these resources. For those cases, I would completely get the strategy of regularly focusing on starting up new groups. It certainly makes it much more challenging to cast a vision of multiplying groups and to expect results if you do not have people (coaches) in the middle connecting the dots.

Anonymous on July 13, 2011 at 4:35 pm

Thanks for sharing your journey with us! Sounds like an exciting time as you take these next steps.

mark

Richard Wollard on August 31, 2012 at 10:04 am

I think they call the Dead Sea the Dead Sea for a reason; what goes in never goes out. Multiplication should be in the DNA of every group, the timing of multiplication is a Gid variable. That’s my twocents 🙂

Craig Mattes on August 31, 2012 at 12:18 pm

Richard, I am absolutely with you that the timing of multiplication comes from the God variable. It is not so much, “Well, it’s been 18 months. Time to multiply.” God orchestrates this all and goes even beyond our dreams. A few years ago, we began a Friday early morning men’s group. Our dream at the beginning (which we shared and included in our DNA) was that the group would multiply and be 2 groups in a year. Well…God has other/better things in mind. We multiplied into 2 groups in six months and 4 groups one year later!

markchowell on August 31, 2012 at 1:05 pm

Thanks for jumping in here, Richard! I absolutely agree with the value. It’s the “how’s it working?” part that has me a fan of strategies like HOST and the Small Group Vacation (that accomplish the same thing more effectively).

mark

markchowell on August 31, 2012 at 1:08 pm

Thanks for jumping in here, Craig. You’ve had great results! I love hearing that. At the same time, I’d ask “how’s it working in the rest of your small group ministry?” I’ve found that every group system has a few instances of this kind of success. It’s the other 90% that need alternative strategies.

mark

Craig Mattes on August 31, 2012 at 1:14 pm

Don’t get me wrong. I’m definitely open to both/and approaches. In our ministry we work to get new groups off the ground in multiple ways! 🙂

Michael Sove on July 13, 2011 at 12:04 pm

I love raising up leaders and planting new groups. I have found that to be the most effective way to expand the base. I have been doing this since 1995.
Anonymous on July 13, 2011 at 12:29 pm

Thanks for jumping in here Michael! New groups are one of the keys to effective small group ministries that connect beyond the usual suspects (http://www.markhowelllive.com/top-5-advantages-of-new-small-groups/).

mark
Craig Mattes on July 13, 2011 at 4:06 pm

Mark, definitely more groups and more people connected is the big goal! And your question, “How’s it working’ so far?” is crucial to ask and be honest about. In our small group ministry we are seeing group multiplication when it is connected to coaching. Coaching is a huge deal for us. I would say (following the Lord’s work in it all) that coaching is our foundation for multiplying groups and it is how we structure our small group ministry. We don’t have it all figured out. We have a lot of room for growth. But we are moving in an exciting direction. (God more than doubled our coaches during this last year which we are PRAISING him for!) Besides God’s Word, the main tool/resource we use in our coaching is the “8 Habits of Effective Small Group Leaders.” All of our leaders are given a copy of this book. And over time the coach and leader work through it together, as a journey. Not every congregation is equipped with a coaching structure. Not every church have the funds to provide these resources. For those cases, I would completely get the strategy of regularly focusing on starting up new groups. It certainly makes it much more challenging to cast a vision of multiplying groups and to expect results if you do not have people (coaches) in the middle connecting the dots.
Anonymous on July 13, 2011 at 4:35 pm

Thanks for sharing your journey with us! Sounds like an exciting time as you take these next steps.

mark
Richard Wollard on August 31, 2012 at 10:04 am

I think they call the Dead Sea the Dead Sea for a reason; what goes in never goes out. Multiplication should be in the DNA of every group, the timing of multiplication is a Gid variable. That’s my twocents 🙂
Craig Mattes on August 31, 2012 at 12:18 pm

Richard, I am absolutely with you that the timing of multiplication comes from the God variable. It is not so much, “Well, it’s been 18 months. Time to multiply.” God orchestrates this all and goes even beyond our dreams. A few years ago, we began a Friday early morning men’s group. Our dream at the beginning (which we shared and included in our DNA) was that the group would multiply and be 2 groups in a year. Well…God has other/better things in mind. We multiplied into 2 groups in six months and 4 groups one year later!
markchowell on August 31, 2012 at 1:05 pm

Thanks for jumping in here, Richard! I absolutely agree with the value. It’s the “how’s it working?” part that has me a fan of strategies like HOST and the Small Group Vacation (that accomplish the same thing more effectively).

mark
markchowell on August 31, 2012 at 1:08 pm

Thanks for jumping in here, Craig. You’ve had great results! I love hearing that. At the same time, I’d ask “how’s it working in the rest of your small group ministry?” I’ve found that every group system has a few instances of this kind of success. It’s the other 90% that need alternative strategies.

mark
Craig Mattes on August 31, 2012 at 1:14 pm

Don’t get me wrong. I’m definitely open to both/and approaches. In our ministry we work to get new groups off the ground in multiple ways! 🙂