Insight: Repositioning Affinity Ministries Helps Create Alignment
One of the most frequent questions I’m asked is, “How do we grow both our small group ministry and our affinity ministries (women, men, couples, singles)?” A variation is, “How can we focus everyone’s attention on a church-wide campaign when our fall ministry launch happens at the exact same time?”
Ever feel stuck at that very spot? You want to build a pervasive and thriving small group ministry, but following the strategies of someone like me feels like you’re putting a lid on your women’s ministry!
What are you supposed to do? How can you do both?
I want to give you a way to think about a possible solution. I also want to remind you that solutions like this are almost never as simple as they sound. But…when you get to where I’m suggesting, alignment is very powerful.
Two key discussions
My goal in this article is simply to help you think about possibilities. What I’m suggesting is not fool-proof or fail-safe. What I’m suggesting is the right direction, but not without challenges.
You’ll need to be able to navigate at least three very important discussions. You’ll need to be able to use the 5 questions that supercharge ministry impact.
Here are the discussions:
Reimagine the purpose of your affinity ministries. What if your affinity ministries took on the role as primary creators of events that would pull unconnected men, women, couples and singles from the auditorium? What if your affinity ministry leaders could begin to see themselves as architects and designers of steps that would lead to connecting in a small group (whether on-campus or off-campus)?
Reposition affinity ministries to create alignment. What if the primary role of your women’s ministry director shifted from promoter to shepherd? What if your affinity ministry directors moved from champions to shepherds whose primary objectives was to provide the same kind of care to table leaders that you want group members to receive?
Redesign your affinity programs. What if your on-campus affinity programs could be redesigned to offer easy first steps out of the auditorium and the same level of care as an off-campus group? What if every on-campus program shifted (gradually) from rows to circles and from information/teaching to discussion/application?
See also, A Plated Meal Leads to a Church OF Groups, North Point Increases GroupLife Participation by Adding an Easier Next Step, and Supercharge Your Ministry Impact with These 5 Questions.
Takeaway: I’m not suggesting an easy thing to do. Rather, I’m suggesting a challenging process that leads to a very productive outcome. Need help? I love guiding these discussions and you can find out how to schedule a call right here.
What do you think? Have a question? Want to argue? You can click here to jump into the conversation.
