Here Are My Small Group Ministry Resolutions for 2014

You may not need to get in shape or pay down your credit cards, but you probably ought to be making some small group ministry resolutions for 2014.  Do you have yours figured out?

Because you’re part of the tribe here, you know you’ll have to do something different if you want to end up in a different place.  And you know that your current ministry design determines your results.  See also, The Perils of the Well-Worn Path and Different, Not Better, Will Connect the Widening 60%.

Here are my small group ministry resolutions for 2014:

• Recognize that if we want to connect people no one else is connecting we’ll need to do things no one else is doing.  Some things are just self-evident.  Isn’t this one of them?  Isn’t it obvious that if what you’re already doing is sufficient…it would have already connected everybody?  See also, How to Connect People No One Else Is Connecting.
• Create even easier first steps out of the auditorium that lead to toe-in-the-water opportunities for community. We saw the wisdom of this idea in 2013.  For people who freely admit that it took them a long time to finally come to our church, we must anticipate that it will be very difficult for them to ever try out a small group that meets in a stranger’s living room.  See also, Design Your Connection Strategy with Unconnected People In Mind.
• Increase our commitment to make it easy to take first steps into hosting a small group and nearly automatic to take the steps that lead to becoming an authentic shepherd.  We must be committed to both parts of the equation.  Easy to begin.  Nearly automatic to develop as a shepherd leader.  See also, Teacher, Leader, Shepherd, Host: What’s In a Name?
• Increase our commitment to identifying, recruiting and developing high capacity leaders of leaders.  We know that whatever we want to happen in the lives of group members must happen first in the lives of group leaders.  How will that happen if we aren’t investing in leaders of leaders?  Whether we call them coaches, mentors, or community leaders…this is an essential ingredient to true small group ministry success.  See also, 5 Assumptions that Set Small Group Coaching Up to #Fail.
• Invest ourselves in the mission of making disciples who make disciples.  It’s about curriculum.  It’s about the group environment itself.  And it’s about doing the right things to and for our small group leaders (and coaches).  It is not about hoping it happens or wishful thinking.  It’s about a path, not an intent.  See also, Four Leading Indicators of Small Group Ministries That Make Disciples.
• Make a habit of asking, “How might we….?”  We must learn to ask great questions as we’re doing what we’re doing.  Clearly, the best way to do almost everything we want to do…hasn’t been discovered!  See also, Supercharge Your Ministry with These 5 Questions.

What will your small group ministry resolutions be?  You can click here to jump into the conversation.