Skill Training: Help Your Newest Groups Survive the Summer

You've worked hard to help jump start some new small groups this year. Some of your new groups are less than 3 or 4 months old! Don't let the death valley days of summer get the best of them! Instead, take advantage of some simple strategies to help them survive the summer (and be ready to thrive this fall!).

Special Note: Groups that have been together longer can often take the summer off and pick right up after the break. New groups that have only met for 3 months and then take 3 off often never meet again, wasting their initial connection.

A simple plan to help your newest groups survive the summer

What can you do to help them?  Try this simple plan to help your newest groups survive the summer:

First, now is the time to build in the expectation that there are things they can do to stay connected over the summer. Some of your newest small groups naturally expect that they'll be taking the summer off. It may even have been part of your formal strategy! But it doesn't have to be that way. Why not give them the chance to stay together if they can?

Second, you can help them by leading them to proactively develop a plan for the summer...before they get to the summer! Often small groups will be so busy dealing with the weekly challenge of getting together that they don't take time for details. Getting this idea on your small group leaders' radar in early June will help ensure that your groups have a chance to pull out their calendars and plan the summer.

Third, help your groups plan for the summer by giving a list of ideas.  There's so much they can do and have a great time while connecting. Giving them a simple list of ideas will make a big difference. Need some help coming up with your own list? Here's ours. It's a PDF form, but feel free to take the idea and develop your own!

Need more help training group leaders and coaches?

You'll find lots of ideas in the Leader Tips section of my blog. Click here to take a look!