Have you found a way to help your groups make it through the holidays?  You know how it is.  Groups start off with a bang in September, many times transition to a second study in mid-October, and then just before Thanksgiving reach for the pause button.

“We’ve got so much going on…it just makes more sense to wait until January to meet again.”  “With shopping, visiting family, and our kids schedules…we’ll be lucky if we can make it to the Christmas Eve service, let alone meeting beyond Thanksgiving!”

Sound familiar?  That clearly is the challenge.  And yet, groups that break too early often never get started again in January.  Not to say they never start up again.  Just that their chances are not near as good.

What can you do?  I’ve found there are some important things you can do to help your groups make it through the holidays…and they’re not hard.  You can do it.

1. Help them transition from their launching study (whatever they were studying to begin the fall) to something that will keep them engaged through Thanksgiving (and ideally the first week of December).  This is important.  The key is to let your leaders know there is a next study before they finish their first study.
2. Encourage every group to identify a way they can serve together in a ministry opportunity over the holidays.  Whether it is at a Thanksgiving dinner provided by a ministry to the homeless or simply serving as greeters together for one of your Christmas Eve services, helping your groups connect to do something is a key to helping them make it through the holidays.  It’s not hard to get this going.  A quick call to local homeless shelters, schools in lower-income areas, etc. will often surface easy ways that your groups can put a toe in the water.  At the same time, simply working with staff and key volunteers will uncover serving opportunities that a group can do together.
3. Suggest a simple Christmas party as a final meeting of the year.  An ornament exchange done White Elephant style is a fun activity.  Food makes it great.  Sharing communion as a part of the evening is a meaningful touch.
4. Have your groups schedule their first meeting of the new year at their last meeting of the old year.  Waiting until January to plan what’s next usually means starting later if at all.

These four simple steps will often be the difference between surviving the holidays and a “pleasant memory of the last time we were in a group.”  And they really are simple!  A little action right now will make a big difference in the survival rate of your newest groups.  Why not take action today, get this simple strategy rolling, and let me know how it goes?  I’d love to hear your plan!

In terms of small groups philosophy of ministry, the open or closed group question is very big.  Both sides have some good arguments.  Like every other argument there is no problem-free solution.  Although I believe there are times when it is both appropriate and beneficial to “close” a group, for the most part I am solidly in the open group camp.  Here are my top 10 reasons:

10.  Eliminates the need to “card people at the door!”

9.  One less idiosyncrasy to explain to interested newbies.

8.  Adding a new person to a group often causes new details to be added to old stories.

7.  Gives an opportunity for includers to include, reach out, and help new members to feel part of the group.

6.  Creates opportunities for new friendships.

5.  It counters the “me-first” attitude of the culture when I’m willing to share what I have.

4.  A growing group opens new doors for putting the needs of others above your own.

3.  Without new blood, relationships can become stagnant.

2.  If grouplife really is essential to me, I will be most persuasive when I invite you to my group.

1.  The closest friends of the newest people in your congregation will never be easier to invite than in the first 3 to 6 months.

Admittedly, if you’re any kind of debater you can come up with counter arguments for many of my top 1o.  Let me be clear though.  I believe that reason number one trumps any potential good that can come from a closed group system.  Relationships that members of closed groups had with outsiders will almost certainly have faded once they’ve completed 12 to 18 months.  In the sense that there’s an upside and a downside to everything…that is a huge downside and solidly puts me in the open group camp.

Looking for a small group ministry system?  You might want to check out Creating Community: Five Keys to Building a Small Group Culture for some insight into the way that North Point Community Church has structured and built their system.  Written by Andy Stanley and Bill Willits, Creating Community provides a good look at some of the underlying principles that form the foundation.  And let me just say…it is a great book.  It’s great because it is a very practical and fairly detailed illustration of the principles found in the 7 Practices of Effective Ministry, easily one of my favorite books in the last 10 years.

There are three distinctives that must be pointed out in any discussion of North Point’s strategy: (1) the GroupLink strategy of forming groups,  (2) the closed-group philosophy, and (3) the use of staff to care for group leaders (as opposed to identifying, recruiting and relying on volunteer “coaches”).  Although any examination of their structure and strategy will unearth Meta Church and Willow Creek roots, these three distinctives are something that are important and shouldn’t be minimized.

GroupLink: This is the North Point name for a strategy that is used several times a year to launch new small groups.  In many ways GroupLink is similar to a Small Group Connection, popularized by Saddleback.  As I’ve highlighted in other strategies, they choose very strategic moments throughout the year to promote and execute this strategy.  Like everything at North Point it is done very creatively and with excellence (even to the extent of bringing in seating arrangements for the event).  Essentially, GroupLink is an event that unconnected adults attend and once at the event are moved through a process that results in a very high percentage of connection.

You’ll find a lot of information about GroupLink on the North Point site right here.  You’ll also find a starter kit available on their website right here.

An important key to their strategy is having a adequate number of pre-approved leaders at the event.  This is one of the challenges of the system and what makes it so different than the Saddleback version (built on the idea that the group can choose a leader from amongst themselves).  You can find out more about the Connection idea right here.  Although there is a built-in way to accommodate the starting of groups without a pre-approved leader, it is a notch off the intended pattern.

Closed Groups: Another very important distinctive of the North Point strategy is that groups are launched as 12 to 18 month groups that are closed to new participants.  Group members sign a covenant committing to the process.  At the end of the commitment it is the expectation that the group will end and group members will return to a GroupLink, many as leaders, ready to help launch new groups.

Staff Provides Coaching:  Rather than continuing to work with the challenge of using volunteer coaches, North Point’s strategy uses staff “community leaders” who are responsible for approximately 75 small group leaders.  It is their primary responsibility and there are serious expectations about the number of times they’ll connect and what they’ll do when they connect.

As I’ve written about throughout this series, the North Point system has advantages and disadvantages.  There is no problem-free solution to anything.  Wise leaders simply choose the set of problems they would rather have.

Advantages:

• Promoting several GroupLinks a year gives real focus to the importance of being a member of a small group.
• Pre-approved leaders gives some certainty that new group members will be well cared for.
• An event focused strategy requires the necessary commitment level from prospective members (as opposed to just signing up and not following through).
• Closed groups allow new group members to grow close over time, develop a lasting bond, and follow through on a commitment.
• Paid coaches makes it possible to get a lot accomplished.  Expectations can be inspected and a high level of care delivered to group leaders.

Disadvantages:

• It is hard for churches to identify and develop an adequate number of pre-approved leaders.  This disadvantage shouldn’t be minimized.  If your church has trouble identifying an adequate number of leaders now, GroupLink will not solve this issue.
• Closed groups cut off the friends and connections of the newest people to the crowd.  If I’m a new attendee and I join a closed group it will be 12 to 18 months before I can encourage my friend to join my group.
• Few churches are in a position to allocate adequate budget to hire staff with the primary responsibility of caring for group leaders.  Most churches will simply add this responsibility to an existing job description.

As with any strategy, there is more to it, but these are the three distinctives along with advantages and disadvantages.  You can learn about other small group systems and strategies right here.

The Connecting Church by Randy Frazee is based on a core idea that there is more room for life when you simplify or streamline your small group relationships to center on the people who live near you.  In fact, Frazee’s followup to The Connecting Church, Making Room For Life, is even more centered on that idea.

It sounds very good.  In fact, it sounds great.  When taken to its natural conclusion, it is the idea that by forming by small group out of people in my neighborhood, I have more time to really build those relationships.  Contrast this idea with the normal practice:

• relationships I’m trying to develop in the neighborhood (because I’m trying to be a good neighbor)
• relationships with the people in my small group
• relationships with people in my Sunday School class (hypothetical…I don’t have these but you might)
• relationships from the softball team, PTA, bunko group, choir, ministry team, etc.

Most of us are trying to develop group life relationships in addition to all the other relationships we already have.  It makes for a complicated life and one that predicts that none of our relationships really become the kind that are the redemptive, life-generating, refreshing kind that we really need.

The essence of Randy Frazee’s idea is that by doing everything (overstatement) with those I live near, I have a better opportunity to develop the kinds of relationships that I need.  Makes sense doesn’t it?  It did to Willow Creek, too, and was the basis for an interesting, but failed, experiment.  The emphasis they called “neighborhood groups” came directly out of Frazee’s ideas.

Let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:

• I streamline my relationships by forming my small group in the neighborhood.
• If I’m part of an on-campus class, it could also be geographically organized (i.e., my class consists of people who are from my area of town and may even consist of all the groups from my area of town).

Disadvantages:

• Geography is no longer the best predictor of affinity.  I can easily have very little in common with the people who live on my street.
• Few churches are really in a position to exclusively move this way because most members are already more connected with church people than with neighbors…regardless of geography.

The Connecting Church strategy is a little tricky.  It’s one that is quite alluring and it’s based on some very good principles and practices.  And yet, in many ways it is a very idealistic notion.  Under the heading that there are no problem-free solutions, this one has some great upside and may present a vision to be moved towards.  At the same time, most churches aren’t starting with a blank slate.  And at the end of the day, the hand that you’ve been dealt (the way things are right now) must be taken into consideration before moving in a new direction.

For a look at other small group ministry systems and strategies, take a look at How To Choose a Small Group System or Strategy.

When comparing small group ministry strategies and systems there are some fundamental questions to consider.

• What are the requirements to be a leader?
• What does a new member commit to?
• How will you care for the leaders?
• How does a new group begin?
• What materials can be used?

One of the most effective small group ministry strategies is centered on the idea that an annual church wide campaign is the easiest ways to launch new groups.  At its root it is a pretty simple strategy:

1. Choose the right topic for an alignment (weekend message series and small group curriculum)
2. Launch it at the right moment (there are three best times)
3. Provide a curriculum that is easy to use
4. Ask members and attendees to consider hosting a group and inviting their friends and neighbors
5. Provide a follow-up curriculum that is on an appealing topic and easy to use

5 key elements.  Admittedly, there’s a lot more to it, but those are the keys.  And clearly there are some important distinctions that you’d best not overlook.  For example, there are certain topics that are easy to invite friends and neighbors to and others that will just not work.  There are times on the annual calendar that are naturally better than others.  But when you get the keys right…this is a great way to organize a small group ministry because it answers many of the most important questions.

Still, it is not problem-free.  Wise leaders simply choose the set of problems they’d rather have.  Here’s a quick overview of some of the key disadvantages and advantages:

Disadvantages:

• It takes a lot of energy to pull off a church-wide campaign.  Regardless of church size, this is a high energy endeavor.
• It requires the focus of the whole church.  A church-wide campaign is not something you do while two or three other initiatives are being launched.
• You will have people sign up to host a group that may not meet your standards.
• Not all groups will make it.  Not all of them will even start, let alone finish the six-week study or continue to the follow-up curriculum.
• Choosing the right topic can be challenging.
• You may have to set aside normal practices to accomplish a church-wide campaign (i.e., “we’re in a year-long study of the Book of Acts).

Advantages:

• Focusing all your attention once a year on one thing brings energy, clarity and focus to your congregation.
• The right topic and curriculum can bring new vitality to outreach effectiveness.
• Recruiting hosts skillfully will identify a new wave of potential leaders.
• Encouraging ordinary members to take a step will open their eyes to new ways God wants to use them.
• Aligning weekend messages with a small group curriculum launches one conversation for 6 weeks bringing renewed focus to the congregation.

There are probably other advantages and disadvantages.  This is not a stand-alone strategy.  Many churches use it in combination with ideas borrowed from other strategies and systems.  But it has some distinct elements that can provide a renewed sense of purpose once a year.

Here are three additional articles on the church-wide campaign-driven idea:

• The Exponential Power of a Church-Wide Campaign
• How to Sequence a Small Group Launch
• Lessons from Saddleback: How to Launch Your Church-Wide Campaign

For an overview of the major small group strategies, check out my article, “How To Choose a Small Group System or Strategy.”

What is the best way to do small group ministry?  Is it better to use a free-market approach?  Does a sermon-based group strategy make sense in a seeker-sensitive church?  Can we kind of do a mash-up of several strategies and come up with one that really works for our community and our congregation?

These are all great questions!  They get asked all the time.  And these are just the tip of the iceberg!

So…what’s the answer?  Is there a best way? I think there is a best way…for your church.  Can you take parts of one system and combine it with another and end up with something good?  I think that’s how you end up with a system that works well in your environment.

How do you figure out the best solution for your church?  I think you have to start with a good foundation built on the answers to several questions:

1. The first question is what will success look like for your small group ministry?  This is a critical first step question.  Another way to ask it is, “What will a win be?”  Here’s what’s at stake.  If you aren’t clear on what you’re trying to do, you run the risk of building a system that can’t do the right things.  For example, if success is connecting 150% of your weekend adult attendance, you’ll need a different system than if success is developing families that flourish in a fallen world (I just made that one up…not even sure what it means).
2. Next, ask yourself if the win you’ve just identified is attainable given current assumptions about things like membership requirements for leaders, attention span of senior leadership, and your congregation’s willingness to prioritize group life?  The key to this step is that declaring what a win will be must be based on reality and not wishful thinking.  Getting to there can be a God-sized stretch, but there’s no point in dreaming if the dream is dependent on unattainable changes in core philosophy of ministry.
3. The third question is who will be your customer?  Think about it this way.  Do you only care about connecting and developing members of your church?  Or do you have a more outreach oriented persuasion?  Time spent determining the answer to this question will help you think about things like curriculum options, leader expectations, as well as leader selection and training.

Once you’ve worked through these questions you’ll be ready to think about what system makes the most sense in your setting.  Remember, there is no system or strategy that is truly problem-free.  Wise leaders simply choose the set of problems they’d rather have.  That said, here are the most common small group strategies.

• Meta Church
• Sermon-Based
• Semester Based
• Free Market
• Connecting Church
• North Point
• Cell Church
• G-12
• Church-Wide Campaign-Driven

I’ll be taking a look at each of these strategies over the next few weeks.  Don’t want to miss an upcoming post?  You may want to sign up to the get my update.

One of the coolest parts of what I get to do is interview game-changing small group innovators and thought leaders from some of the best of group land. We had a great call today with Jeff Galley, Central Team Leader for LifeGroups/LifeMissions at LifeChurch.tv. As you can imagine, there are very few dull moments around there…and what’s happening in group life is taking another very powerful turn.

The Small Group Fraternity has been a subscription-based program for the first 2 years, but it’s about to go to free. Click HERE to listen to our recent call as our gift to you! Don’t want to miss our upcoming call with Joe Myers? Be sure and sign up today to get the update.

You’ve probably heard of the meta church small group model.  It’s long held a kind of buzz word status in small group land.  The truth is there’s a good chance that you’re already using elements of it without even knowing it.  In fact, when you pick up a book like Creating Community or Building a Church of Small Groups it’s easy to recognize traces of concepts introduced by Paul Yongi Cho’s Successful Home Cell Groups and Prepare Your Church for the Future by Carl George.

So what are some of the distinctives of the meta church model?  You can see some of the key assumptions right here.  Instead, I’d like to focus on the advantages and disadvantages of the model.  As we’ve said before, there is no problem-free solution or model.  Instead of searching for problem-free, we need to learn to choose the set of problems we’d rather have.

Advantages of the Meta Church Model:

• Span of care, the idea that everyone needs to be cared for by someone but no one ought to be caring for more than 10, helps give structure and builds a realistic framework.
• The notion that every leader should be developing an apprentice sets in motion a potential leadership development pipeline.
• An emphasis on leader encouragement and development through a regular program of centralized meetings.
• Groups that begin their life by birthing from a mother group begin with the multiplication gene in their DNA.
• An emphasis on discipleship can produce genuine growth and spiritual maturity.

Disadvantages:

• Although the idea of apprenticing is appealing, it rarely leads to the kind of multiplication expected as many apprentices never really leave a group, serving instead as a kind of pinch hitter that fills in when the leader is sick or out of town.
• North American culture rarely remains committed to the practice of a regular centralized meeting.  Pace of life and the prioritization of outside interests make it difficult to build momentum.
• High expectations of the leader make it challenging to identify, recruit and develop the number of leaders necessary to care for the number of unconnected people in the average congregation producing a constant shortage of leaders.
• Toe-in-the-water opportunities to test drive a group are impractical.

Much like the G 12 movement, there are elements of the meta church model that are at the core of what small group practitioners dream of.  There is no question that certain of the principles can be found in many different systems.  It is also clear that while it fits authoritarian Asian cultures and many in Latin America, there is something about the pace of life and values in American culture that makes full implementation difficult to sustain.

For a comparison of other strategies, see my article on the Free Market System and Sermon-Based Small Groups.

Although sermon based small groups is an idea that’s been around for many years, it was recently brought back into the limelight by Larry Osborne’s book, Sticky Church.  In his book Osborne shares the North Coast Church small group strategy.  While there are other elements (at North Coast it is used in combination with a semester strategy), the essence of the strategy is that a discussion guide is provided that allows further discussion and application of the message the pastor just preached.

I need to point out that much like the “church of” vs “church with” small groups discussion, what we’re talking about here is not that there are some groups that use the discussion guide.  In the classic application of the strategy it is the primary type of group offered.

A very simple idea.  The question is, “Does the strategy make sense for you and your church?”  Like everything else, I’ve found it to be helpful to grant that while there is no problem-free strategy or solution, there are advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages of Sermon-Based:

• The key advantage is probably that they do allow further discussion of the pastor’s message.  In a dialogue environment, everyone is able to ask the questions they wanted to ask on Sunday.
• Another very powerful advantage is that it narrows the focus down to one conversation (in the small group and in the church).  Rather than group members hearing one concept on Sunday and another in their group meeting, they are allowed to focus on one thing at a time.
• Because groups are using a curriculum that takes the pastor’s message another step, it provides a great incentive to mention what members will be talking about in the week ahead (i.e., “in your groups this week you’ll be focusing on how to take this next step.”).  Where some pastors find it difficult to actively integrate references to small groups into every message, sermon-based can make it easier to connect the dots.
• Every Sunday focus on the importance of being in a group where “you’ll have the opportunity to dig deeper  into this topic” often encourages many to at least try out the idea of being part of a group.

Disadvantages:

Every strategy has both advantages and disadvantages.  Here are a few disadvantages you should be aware of:

• A church-wide application of the strategy can limit additional hooks in the water.  That is, when all the groups are using the same material it doesn’t give as many opportunities (topics) for an unconnected person to consider.
• There is an art to writing good sermon-based discussion guides.  Without the right person on the team, the discussion will simply be a closer examination of the information…without true application.
• It can be more difficult for an outsider (a friend, neighbor or co-worker)  to jump into a group that is discussing something that everyone else has already started thinking about.

As you can see, there are advantages and disadvantages to the sermon-based strategy.  There are other strategies.  Is this the right one for your church?  It depends on several factors.  The most important factor might be the purpose of small groups in your church.  Questions?  Need help determining what makes the most sense for your church?  Why not schedule a coaching call to make your next step the right one?

Looking for a way to promote group life at your church?  This humorous clip developed by the crazy cats at Central Christian Church in Vegas and available from  Worship House Media does a good job highlighting that some things in life are better together.  Check it out:

You’ll find additional media ideas right here.