If you haven’t seen the new blog over at SmallGroups.com you need to check it out.  Looks like it’ll be a good resource with a constant flow of tips, ideas and reviews of new materials.  When you head over…be sure and tell ‘em hello!

To build a small group ministry in a church with a Sunday School culture, you’ll need to think multiple steps. That means looking beyond the first step to the next and the next after that.  Sometimes that’s easier said than done.  But…very much like the way a NASCAR driver must learn to think about the turn after the one just ahead, you’ve got to think about the steps after the ones just ahead.  Why does a NASCAR driver need to think about the turn after the one just ahead?  The simplest answer is that they need to come out of this turn with the next one in mind.  The best drivers are always thinking about what’s next.

How does this apply to building a small group ministry in a church with a Sunday School culture?  As I often say, “You’re not going from A to Z.  You’re going from A to B…on the way to Z.  Don’t call where you are ‘Z.’  Call it B and 1/2.”

Here are a few of the pieces you’ll need as you begin to plan your steps:

1. Start with a “pilot.”  Easter is a great opportunity to start a few “toe-in-the-water groups (Late September/early October or late January/early February are other good times).  The key is simply to pick a time when you can promote the opportunity for several weeks. The idea of a pilot is that it gets a few unconnected folks connected and gets you a few great stories to use later.
2. As these groups are meeting be sure and capture the best stories of how much it means to both group members and leaders.  If possible, capture these stories on video for later use.  How to Develop Video That Recruits Members or Leaders tells you how to do this.  These stories can be a very powerful tool that will help a next wave respond to a group life invitation.
3. Use the video you capture to recruit hosts and members for a fall launch.  You’ll find more information about how to integrate a video into your small group ask right here.
4. Select a church-wide campaign for your major launch effort.  Make it not just for those who aren’t yet connected, but for everyone.  Although you can simply let your on-campus groups use the curriculum there, it is almost always more effective to ask everyone to be part of a group that meets in a home for these six weeks.  You can assure your classes that although you value what they have in the class, for the purpose of giving everyone the full experience, it will be best if they participate too.  And it’s only six weeks.  Done right, this can become an annual event.  Nothing gives you as much leverage as an alignment that leverages sermon topic and small group discussion.  Here’s the script: “In order to get everything possible out of this season in our church, you need to be in a group…that’s using the curriculum…that goes along with what we’re talking about on Sunday.”  That is huge.
5. Watch for any of your already connected folks (who may be longtime Sunday School members or leaders) who have a memorable experience in a group and choose to stay with it.  Their stories often become the best encouragement for others from your core to take a test-drive themselves.
6. Select several DVD-driven studies to recommend as follow ups to the launch study.  Plan on recommending a best choice for all your newest groups in week 3 or 4 of the launch study.

A two pronged caveat through it all.

1. Be careful to talk about group life as a way of doing what we all know is important.  Spending time with other believers, building solid relationships, studying the Bible, serving together,  You can talk about the benefits without slighting the more traditional approach.
2. On a parallel track begin working with your Sunday School leadership to develop small group components there.  Learning that leads to practical application.  Sharing that leads to authentic life-change.  Two-way communication as opposed to a master teacher/listener format.  Enhanced out-of-classroom time.  Clarifying what a win looks like in every environment will make it easier to genuinely suggest that life-on-life is essential and you can get that more than one way.

You can read part 5 of my series right here.  Missed the beginning of this series?  You can catch up right here.

Got plans this week?  Why not join me for Take Advantage of Easter (to launch groups), a FREE introduction to our telecoaching services.  Two available times:

• Tuesday, March 17th at 8:00 am (PST), 1:00 pm (EST)
• Thursday, March 19th at 8:00 a.m. (PST), 1:00 pm (EST)

You will learn:

• 4 Keys to Launching Healthy Small Groups this Easter
• Secrets of developing a winning launch timeline

Space is limited.  Don’t miss out!

Have you taken a look at your calendar yet?  Easter is April 12th.  That’s important for two reasons.  First, it’s only five weeks away!  But I’m sure you knew that already.  The second reason that’s important is that it is five weeks away…and you can get a lot done in that amount of time…if you start now.

FIRST STEP: Planning

The first step is to pull out the calendar and actually lay out your plan.  Taking advantage of Easter to launch groups means that you’ll probably announce a small group connection or encourage people to sign up to join a small group…on Easter.  Using a special insert to make sign-up easy is important.  In addition, you’ll want to reserve the room for the small group connection (or identify enough leaders or hosts to serve as group starters).

Another important planning element is to identify the curriculum you will use to launch groups.  We’ve talked before about the Easy/Hard continuum.  This is a time to choose a small group study on the Easy end.  And this is a good time to have this decision to make.  There are some great studies out there that are on engaging topics and because they’re DVD-driven, they’re easy to use.  Choose a study that is no longer than 5 or 6 sessions.  That makes it easier to commit to but long enough to begin building some connective tissue.  Pick one that you can hold up on Easter as you talk about joining a small group.  Put up a slide showing the cover as you talk about it.  Also, many of the DVD-driven studies include a short promo video.  If it’s appropriate in your service you may want to show the promo.

SECOND STEP: Preparation

Over the next five weeks you’ll have some work to do.  If you’re going to use a small group connection event on April 26th, you should begin to include an insert on Easter (April 12th).  Talking about it on Easter will give you some momentum and allow you to repeat the promotion three weeks in a row (including the day of the connection).  Using the same insert each week allows your congregation to see that this must be important because you’ve highlighted it repeatedly.

If you’re planning to recruit hosts or leaders to serve as groups starters (instead of a connection event) you’ve got just enough time to recruit them and train them.  They should be recruited for a 12 week commitment.  Although you’ll be using a 5 or 6 week small group series, you’ll want the hosts or leaders to be in place for a little longer.  An important strategy is to begin talking about the next curriculum at about week 4 of the first study.  If you can keep them together for two six-week series they’ll be much more likely to stay together.

No matter which strategy you’re planning to use to launch new groups you should also plan to connect your new group leaders with a coach; someone to walk alongside them for the next few weeks.

STEP THREE: Implementation

Once you’ve laid the groundwork you’re ready to launch some new groups.  With your insert in place and your connection event calendared for the April 26th (or your hosts/leaders cued up to begin) you’re ready to promote the new study.  Let’s take a moment to look closely at how to promote it.

There are two very important parts of promoting a small group launch: placement and format.  Where you place your promotion is huge.  The ideal placement is in the message itself.  You can really get a lot of mileage out of a well-timed reference to the importance of authentic, life-on-life fellowship in our lives.  If all you can get is an announcement, make the best of it and use the promotional video that comes with the study.  At a minimum, be sure you’ve got a slide with a picture of study, any important dates, etc.  If it fits in your sermon to refer to it, have them pull out the insert right then and drop it in the offering later in the service.  Even better if you can say, “In your program is an insert.  It looks like this.  Take it out and while you’re doing that I want you to welcome Bob and Carol (who are ready to share how meaningful their group has been to them).”  That will take you about three minutes.  But it is a huge advantage and well worth the time.

Ready to Try It?

It’s a great opportunity to launch additional groups before fall.  Don’t miss it!

Need a little help developing the plan?  Let us help you!  Join me for Take Advantage of Easter, a FREE introduction to our telecoaching services.  Two available times:

• Tuesday, March 17th at 8:00 am (PST), 1:00 pm (EST)
• Thursday, March 19th at 8:00 a.m. (PST), 1:00 pm (EST)

You will learn:

• 4 Keys to Launching Healthy Small Groups
• How to develop the launch timeline

Space is limited.  Don’t miss out!

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Sometimes you just need a pair of fresh eyes.  Someone who brings a lot of experience and can quickly diagnose an issue or identify an unseen solution.  Other times, what’s really called for is a regularly scheduled conversation.  Something like a monthly call that is part progress report on the previous month and part planning what’s next.

Regardless of whether you’re a seasoned small group veteran or a you’ve just been hired to bring group life into focus…we have a solution.  Take advantage of one of our coaching call packages and maximize the impact in your ministry!

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In my workshops I often talk about using a message series about “God’s Heart for Unconnected People” to prime the pump for asking people to volunteer to be a HOST in an upcoming church-wide alignment.  While the Bible is full of great stories that talk about this idea, here are the two scripture passages that I use to illustrate the basis for what could be a message series.

• Matthew 9:35-38
• 2 Kings 6:24-7:9

Here is the basic idea for Matthew 9:35-36:

This passage clearly illustrates God’s heart for people.  Everywhere Jesus went He saw people who were “harassed and helpless.”  What do you think of when you hear word, “harassed?”  Bill collectors calling?  Playground punks teasing a smaller kid?

The first century word used here for “harassed” came from the same root as the word that meant flaying an animal…taking off its skin to prepare it for butchering.  It was a tougher, harsher word than what most of us think of when we think harassment.

The word for “helpless?”  It was a word that described the way a work animal threw itself to the ground after a long, hard day working in the fields. My dog Maxwell will run and bring a ball back over and over again.  When playtime is over he’ll literally collapse to the ground.  Not gracefully.  Just collapse in a heap.  That’s what the word “helpless” meant in the language of the first century.

When Jesus saw the crowds He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

I love this passage because it so clearly shows God’s heart for people who don’t have what they need.  It’s always interesting to me that this is an instance where it isn’t Jesus speaking.  There are plenty of places in the Gospels where you can read what Jesus said.  This isn’t one of them.  Rather, this is Matthew’s observation of Jesus’ body language in the midst of a crowd.  This is Matthew reflecting on how Jesus felt about the people in the crowds.  About how His heart broke for them.

How did Matthew know that this is what Jesus was thinking when He “saw the crowds?”  I believe Matthew knew this look…because he had seen how Jesus interacted with people just like this when He came over to Matthew’s house for a dinner with Matthew’s friends…the “sinners and tax-collectors” mentioned in Matthew 9:9-13.

Matthew knew what most people don’t realize.  He knew that God’s heart breaks for people who don’t have what they need.  God sees them as harassed and helpless and His heart goes out to them.  Jesus, God with skin on, modeled this for all of us.

Do you have a heart for people like that?  If you have a heart for people like that…you could be a HOST.

Using this message:

The key to using this message is that talking with people about God’s heart for people prepares them for the moment when you ask them whether they have a heart for people like that.  I do it just like that.  I say, “Do you have a heart for people like that?  If you have a heart for people like that…you could be a HOST.”

What comes next?  I begin what I call “the dance.”  There are several specific elements of the dance.  Done correctly it will lead people from the moment when they are adequately prepared all the way to the moment when they turn in their commitment card.  You’ll find the rest of what I call “the dance” right here:  Making the Ask

The second step in building a small group ministry in a church with a Sunday School culture is to develop your plan well in advance. And for some of you…that is a very hard thing to do. The natural predisposition is to operate in a “ready, fire, aim” mode. Maybe even a “fire, fire, fire” mode. The idea that you may need to slow down and actually develop the plan in advance may frustrate you. But it will help smooth over unnecessary ruffles for the rest of the organization.

Here are the five key ingredients in developing a plan:

1. Develop an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) sheet before you do anything.  By pulling together a few people who understand why you want to build a small group ministry, you should be able to think up the questions that people will have.
2. Identify the key opinion leaders in your existing Sunday School organization and make time to work through the idea with each of them.  Assurance that this additional opportunity will not eliminate what they’re involved in will go a long ways in helping them field questions later.
3. Develop a pilot opportunity before you pull the trigger on any larger effort.  In a pilot you’ll be able to test the idea out, see how it works and make adjustments.  In addition, you’ll be able to capture some great stories about how God is at work in the lives of the people in your new small groups.  Plan on capturing some of these stories about how God works to use in a future larger launch.
4. Take advantage of the power of a church-wide campaign to maximize start up potential.  Using a curriculum that goes along with a message series is an easy way to encourage many in your congregation to put a toe in the water of a small group.  Here are a few suggestions for popular church-wide campaigns.
5. Choose a strategic time of the year to launch new groups.  The best times tend to be late September/early October or late January/early February.  Often piloting a few groups off of Easter will give you the stories you need to launch a wave of new groups in the fall.

You can read part 4 of my series right here.

A well thought out FAQ is a great resource whether you’re starting a small groups ministry or launching groups through a church-wide campaign.  The questions you include can be tailored to meet the needs of your situation.  By posting the FAQ on your website or making it available at a table in your lobby you can provide consistent answers. 

Here are a few questions to get you started as you develop your own Frequently Asked Questions resource:

Why do we need a Small Group Ministry?  Great question.  Here are three keys: First, we will be able to help more of our adults get connected.  Second, off-campus groups that meet in homes will give many in our church an easy first step when it comes to inviting unchurched friends.  Third, with an off-campus strategy we will be able to help more adults grow spiritually without having to build additional educational space.

Will I be expected to be part of a Sunday School class and a small group?  Many of our adults find that their needs are being met by one of our Sunday School classes.  The important thing is that you’re connecting with a group of believers for Bible study, prayer and fellowship.

Will our Small Groups offer child care?  Each small group will develop their own solution.  Some will hire a baby sitter to watch the kids in the other room.  Some will ask the parents to arrange for their own sitter.  Others will simple take turns watching the kids.  Still others will partner with another group in the area to provide child care for each other.

I’d like to lead a small group.  Will you help me start a group?  Absolutely!  At this time there are two ways that we get groups going.  (1) If you already have a group of friends or neighbors that you’d like to do a study with, we’ll help you get started.  (2) Join us at an upcoming small group connection where we’ll be launching new groups. 

The first step in building a small group ministry in a church with a Sunday School culture is to clarify and skillfully communicate your reasons for choosing to build a Small Group Ministry.  Both elements are critical.  You will want to work hard in the very beginning to get comfortable with explaining the benefits.

First, you’ll need to clarify your reasons.  Here are a few to get you started:

• Adults who aren’t already attending a worship service and a Sunday School class are unlikely to start.  I have found that a quick survey of existing adult Sunday School class leaders is pretty revealing.  Simply asking your leaders if they can remember the last person who joined their class who did not come from another class somewhere.
• On-campus classes or studies often have a more restricted start and stop time (i.e., we begin at 9:00 a.m. and must be out by 10:15 a.m. so that the next class can set up).  The shorter format makes it difficult for groups to relax and engage in meaningful conversation.  Off-campus groups provide an opportunity for a warmer, less structured meeting without the time crunch.
• Reaching neighbors and friends is made much easier when the invitation is to “come on over” as opposed to “meet us in the parking lot.”
• An off-campus strategy allows for unlimited growth.  You aren’t restricted by available space.

Second, you’ll need to skillfully communicate your reasons.  Here are a few keys:

• Vividly paint the picture of the people you are trying to reach.  Talk about specific demographic types (for example, young families, families with teens, empty-nesters).
• Talk candidly about the preferences of the group you’re trying to reach.  Craig Groeschel has said that, “If you want to reach people that no one else is reaching you’re going to have to do things that no one else is doing.”  If the group you’d like to reach has already voted with their feet and aren’t attending Sunday School…
• It rarely is an either/or situation.  While there are times when the space needs of your children’s ministry will begin to crowd out adults, that is not always the case.  Where it isn’t essential to eliminate adult Sunday School it is almost always ill-advised to do so.  Better to cast the vision for a strategy that reaches both.

You can read part 3 of my series right here.