.png)
I’ll have more on this later, but I want you to think about the significance of “customized for you.” Think discipleship. We are no longer in an “off the rack” world. As much as “simple” makes sense (and it totally does), the organizations that are winning are making each experience custom to the user. How does that play in our world?
Day #2 is in the bag. A good day…hammered out the fall timeline. There are some really big keys to a launch. You’ve got to understand that every slight deviation from the plan doesn’t change the trajectory incrementally. No…you’ve got to see that every slight deviation changes the trajectory geometrically.
Here’s what I mean. Let’s say you’ve planned the launch to begin on a certain date, giving you time to recruit Hosts, get them to an orientation, help them fill their group, and then challenge everyone to join a group. I know there’s a lot in that sentence, but follow me. If you move the launch date a week earlier, you need to understand what that will mean about a lot of related pieces. It may be no problem. On the other hand, you cannot afford to minimize the difference it will make. Be honest about it.
Now let’s say on top of moving the launch date one week earlier you’re also going to need to shorten the recruiting series by a week to accommodate Labor Day. You must understand that two slight deviations can move you dramatically off the trajectory. It’s not like moving the steering wheel one degree and then one more degree. It’s more like moving it one and then 6 additional degrees, because of the "geometric" compounding of factors.
Key takeaway? Don’t minimize the impact of additional deviations from the plan. Doesn’t mean you won’t run into times when it deviation is inescapable. Just means all the parties need to acknowledge that each instance of deviation moves the trajectory geometrically.
I began a new phase in my ministry run yesterday. I’ll still be consulting and coaching churches around the country, but I’ve joined the team at Adventure Christian Church to help take their small group ministry to a new level. At this point they have weekend attendance of around 3500 and only about 30 groups.
Had my first day in the office on Tuesday. Here’s what I did to begin:
Today it’s back at it again. There’s a lot to do when you’re beginning. Most of it is about laying foundation. Some of it is about planning the first steps in light of what the next leg in the journey will be. Much like an Indy driver, you’ve got to come out of the first curve set up to maximize the next turn. The biggest mistake most churches make? They only plan for the first turn.
Had a chance to check out a new DVD-driven small group curriculum yesterday. A Life That Matters is a “cutting edge small group Bible study inspired by Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life. Tell the Story Productions has taken those themes and incorporated them into a six-week Bible study that will inspire.”
I liked what I saw! Each of the six sessions have a Touched by an Angel feel. Quality production, engaging stories, and a real change from the “talking head” studies your groups have been using. They’re offering a sample kit for a free 2 week preview. If you check it out, tell them Mark sent you!
This is the fourth post in this series. You’ll find the first post right here. In this article I want to talk about what happens right after each of your connection groups have chosen a leader (or more often, leaders).
You’ve just dismissed the members of the new connection groups. Now it’s time to take just a few minutes (3 to 5) to affirm your new leaders, invite them to a New Leader Orientation, and give them a next step that they can easily accomplish. You’ll also give them a packet with some important information.
First, keep in mind that no one ever comes to the connection expecting to end up being the leader of a group! They don’t! Actually, they came to the connection for a variety of reasons and those reasons don’t include finding a group to lead. Consequently, their very natural reaction to being chosen is “what just happened!!?” I always take a couple minutes to affirm them and help them rethink what just happened. Here’s how I do it. I say something like this:
“You need to know that almost every leader in the Bible was chosen. They didn’t volunteer. Old Testament or New Testament. Chosen. Moses. Gideon. Abraham. James and John. Peter. Paul. Chosen. There aren’t any great stories where someone came up and said, “I’d like to volunteer to be a leader.” All of the great stories are about God choosing a leader. And the best story is about how David was chosen. Remember how it goes?
Samuel is sent by God to anoint the next king of Israel and he goes to Jesse’s house. When he gets there Jesse automatically brings out his oldest son. Naturally. He did what was expected. I believe that in that moment the Holy Spirit whispered to Samuel, “That’s not him.” So Jesse brought out the next son. “That’s not him.” This went on until there was only one left. David. And when Jesse brought out David, Samuel heard, “That’s the one.”
Interesting about Samuel, we learn about his ability to hear God much earlier, when he was a little boy living with Eli the priest. And so we know that Samuel can actually hear God speak. But I believe that as you were sharing your answers with the group today, they heard something deep in their heart about you. I don’t know what it was. But I believe they heard it and that’s why they pointed to you.”
Telling this story to affirm their selection is the first step.
The second thing I do is hand them a packet that includes a few basic things and then quickly show them what’s in the packet.
Once I’ve pointed out what’s in the packet I dismiss them, but offer to hang around if anyone has a question. I’ll talk about what to do at the New Leader’s Orientation in the next post.
Brian Jones, Lead Pastor at Christ’s Church of the Valley, is asking an interesting question over on his blog. "Should the small groups in your ministry be euthanized and replaced with another something that actually makes disciples?" Actually, he’s making the case that they should be euthanized. I’m just trying to turn it into a question.
And to be fair, he doesn’t have any information in his post about what their groups are doing, only that whatever they’re doing it isn’t producing disciples. Also to be fair, I’ve seen plenty of evidence around the country that small groups can become just about information or just about a way to get connected with a few others to escape the "face in the crowd" syndrome. But I’ve also seen a growing number of places that can point clearly to real disciples being made.
Maybe it’s evidence that Andy Stanley’s statement is dead on in many places:
"Your ministry is perfectly designed to produce the results you are currently experiencing."
What do you think? And while you’re at it, head over to Brians’s blog and jump into the conversation for yourself!
(This article is part of a series. You can find the first article right here.)
You’ve done most of the hard work at this point. All the preparation and promotion has happened. You’ve pulled together a group of people wanting to be part of a small group. They’ve gone through the first 45 minutes or so of your connection. Now it is time to help them choose a leader.
I like to say, “Now we’ve come to the ‘white-knuckle’ portion of our time together! Hopefully you’ve enjoyed getting to know a few folks today. In fact, you may know more about the folks at your table than almost anyone else! But now we’re at a point where we’re going to help you with a key step. Believe it or not, we’re going to help you choose a leader from amongst yourselves!”
Then I add: “The New Testament gives us at least two ways that leaders were chosen. First, at about the midpoint of Jesus’ 3 year ministry he went up on a mountain, prayed all night, and then chose 12 to be his disciples (Mark 3:13-14). Another time, the disciples were being overwhelmed by the needs of their growing church and needed to add additional help. So they instructed the congregation to ‘choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3 NIV).’”
“We don’t have 18 months…so we’re preferring method #2. But before we help you do that, let’s talk a little bit about what makes a good leader.
“Now in a moment we’re going to choose a leader, but does that help you see what might make the best leader? Ok, now this is going to sound crazy…but here’s how we’re going to choose. I’m going to pray and ask God to remind all of us about the conversations at our tables. And then I’m going to count to three and we’re going to point to the person at your table that you’d be willing to follow for a six week test drive.”
It is a good idea to have all of the tables ready for this step AT THE SAME TIME. I’ve mentioned previously that it is a good idea to have a monitor for each table. This is an important moment to have help. You’ll count to three (or say, “ready, set, point!”), have them point, and have them keep pointing at the person they’re willing to follow. A monitor can help a group clarify who they’ve chosen. It will almost always be more than one person. That’s actually a good thing. Once they’ve pointed and you’ve clarified you’ll want to move quickly to the next three important steps.
First, have each group go back around and tell the person they’ve pointed to why they chose them. This is a huge step. Most people have never been affirmed this way. This step, all by itself, is worth the price of admission! Be sure and do it.
Second, while the group is affirming those pointed to, have them begin circulating a roster. You can download the roster I use RIGHT HERE. I usually have the roster made in two-part paper. That way the new leader can have a copy and you can keep a copy for your records.
Third, have the group choose a day and time for their meeting. You’ll notice that the roster has a blank for this information. I’ve found it helpful to have the monitor available to move through this question. You can often shorten things by asking, “Is there a night that anyone cannot meet?” Next, ask, “How many of you need a weekend meeting (Friday, Saturday or Sunday)?” or “How many of you need a weeknight meeting (Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs)?” It can take a little work to narrow it down, but you can do it. Once they’ve chosen their meeting time you can dismiss the group and ask the leaders to join you for a very brief (3 to 5 minute) meeting. I’ll be talking about what to do in the new leader meeting in the next article.
Important Notes:
Few churches have had as much influence on how small group ministry happens as Willow Creek. And very few books have as large an impact on how small group ministry happens as Building a Church of Small Groups. While a lot has changed at Willow Creek since Bill Donahue and Russ Robinson first published it in 2001, it is still required reading if you’re trying to figure out how to build a church where nobody stands alone. Some books are written by theorists. This one was written in the trenches by practitioners.
Based on an adaptation of Carl George’s Meta Model, what developed at Willow in the 90s and the early part of this decade was the practical working out of how to recruit leaders, how to train and develop them, how to care for leaders, and how to develop healthy groups. If you’re trying to figure those things out, this would be an important book to spend time in. You can order your copy RIGHT HERE.
If you’re like most churches you’re now convinced that an annual church-wide campaign (an alignment) is a great way to help start new small groups. That jury is already in.
The question most are asking is what’s the best way to start groups the rest of the year? The answer? Any way you can…but there is another little known and way underused strategy that is so simple and yet sooooo effective.
What’s the strategy? Use special days like Mother’s Day and Fathers Day to jump start small groups. It’s not even very hard. Take a little preparation. Add a decision or two. Throw in a couple weeks’ of promotion. Make a quality “ask” and you’ve got the toe-in-the-water experience that many people need to take the first step. Why wait until September? Here’s what to do to use this strategy and launch groups on Father’s Day:
First, make a decision. You can use Father’s Day to launch men’s small groups. Or you can use the day to launch couples’ or mixed groups. More on that in a minute. For now, just figure out which of the two you’d like to start.
Second, choose a plug-and-play curriculum for your new groups. It’s very helpful to select a DVD-driven study for these toe-in-the-water groups. There are some really good studies out there. I’ve got some suggestions right here. Don’t overcomplicate this step. The key is to choose a curriculum that is easy to use on a topic that the group you’re targeting will be interested in.
Third, start promoting the opportunity a week before Father’s Day. This year Father’s Day is on June 15th. Provide an insert in your bulletin to take sign-ups to come to a connecting event the week after Father’s Day.
Fourth, on Father’s Day continue your promotion of the event but add this detail. Have your pastor refer to the power of being in a small group in the message. A simple story or an illustration. Have the men take out the insert. “If you’re not in a small group and you’re ready to take this step you can join us at the connection on Sunday, June 22nd. Just fill out this insert and drop it in the offering at the end of today’s service.”
Fifth, send a reminder letter (and email) to all of the sign-ups on Monday, June 16th. Call all of the sign-ups on Saturday, June 21st.
Last, host a small group connection on Sunday, June 22nd. This step can be as easy as pre-selecting a few leaders who will help get the groups off to a good start or you can do a real connection and identify new leaders right there on the spot. Either way, or anywhere in between, you’ll end up with a great opportunity to help a wave of people take first steps in getting connected in a small group!
