What’s the Biggest Problem Facing Your GroupLife System?

September 21, 2011 in Frequently Asked Questions with 14 Comments

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When you think about your small group ministry…what’s the biggest problem you face? Can you say it out loud? Is it one you’d be willing to share?

I’d love to see if it’s one I can help with!

Want to share? You can click here to jump into the conversation.

Gordon Kroeker

Finding enough willing and qualified leaders.
Steve

We have a cultural war going on in our church between the traditional group (mainly over 60) and the contemporary group (mainly under 60). We have 2 contemporary services and one traditional service. We have two different styles of small groups for the most part, and I have found it very difficult to get these leaders together for training that is relevant to each group. We are struggling with unity and vision as a church and it is evident in our small group ministry in terms of training for leaders.
Anonymous

Thanks for jumping in here Gordon! That is everyone’s challenge, isn’t it? Would be a good series of posts.
Anonymous

Hmmmm…prompts two questions. First, how would you describe the two styles of small groups (i.e., on-campus vs. off-campus)? Second, how would each of the two styles clarify the win for their ministry?

mark
cathy

Came into this church 9 months ago. SG ministry was loose and I was hired to provide leadership for it and grow the ministry. Sr pastor had left just prior to me starting. Getting buy-in from existing sg leaders to the concept of a larger SG ministry has proven difficult. The transition time with different speakers every week (translation: no vision-caster) means drifting body–fragmented feeling each week. We are a small church getting smaller. Rather than promote small groups which is seen as further fragmenting the body, effort has been to come together (circle the wagons). Result: the few existing groups aren’t meeting. My biggest problem is re-creating the desire for biblical community in the small group setting.
Anonymous

Thanks for sharing with us, Cathy. That is a challenging situation. Would your congregation be receptive to a church-wide campaign like Bill Hybel’s The Power of a Whisper (http://www.markhowelllive.com/new-church-wide-campaign-from-bill-hybels-the-power-of-a-whisper/) or maybe John Ortberg’s The Me I Want to Be? (http://www.markhowelllive.com/the-me-i-want-to-be/)

Seems like you might be able to create new momentum by organizing around a small group series…even if the weekend speaker took a different slant.

mark
cathy

Thanks Mark. I was thinking about that for Jan, but wasn’t sure about the appropriate title to use. Thanks for the suggestions. Do you agree that small groups at this time of instability and transition are fragmenting?
Pastor Rod Kesselring

Mark,

First of all thank you for your session in “twelve” I need that conference to get a good shot in the arm. I think the 2 top issues we have is creating true ownership of the ministry for our existing leaders and finding those who see this as their ministry as new leaders. the Second problem may be related (at least in my mind) to the fact that we say we want to be a church “of small groups, but we are truly a church “with” small groups and we are not sure how to make that transition.

Does that make sense?
Anonymous

I can see where that might be true in certain instances…but wouldn’t see that in all. In fact, depending upon the maturity of the leaders, this could provide an opportunity to insert a coaching conversation that would provide even greater strength.
Rod Dempsey

Mark,

Organizational understanding of how “church” operates. Rather than understanding that the church of Jesus is his body (1 Cor. 12 and Eph. 1:23). As long as we view the church as a hierarchical organization… we will never value the individual members of the body. In an organizational system the needs of the organization outweigh the needs of the individual. Transition is possible, but it is difficult. Churches can transition from “with groups” to “of groups” by rediscovering God’s plan for making disciples in the context of the body. But they will probably not go from “of groups” to “is groups” without a complete reboot of the operating system.

Keep up the good work,

Rod Dempsey
Anonymous

Those are a couple great challenges, aren’t they? I’ve written quite a bit on both issues, but will think about how I can package an article that at least points to the solutions.
Anonymous

Ahhh…that is an interesting dilemma, isn’t it? There really is something to be said for carefully evaluating what you want to happen at what I refer to as “the member level.” Although unintended, even that has the ring of hierarchy. You raise a real challenge, Rod. Thanks for jumping in here!
Wendy

Having trouble getting people new to our church to join a group. We are starting a church-wide campaign One Month to Live in October with lots of promo and sign-ups at a table in the foyer and on the connection cards filled out during service. We have new leaders who are inviting friends who don’t attend church yet so that is working great but people who aren’t connected to our congregation but are attending do not sign up. How can we get them into a group?
Thanks,
Wendy Kindel
Anonymous

That is an issue for many churches. I believe that the key to a change is your senior pastor’s challenge and encouragement. There really is nothing as motivational (and likely to generate a baby-step six week test drive) as a senior pastor saying, “In order to get everything possible out of this series, you need to be in a group that is using the curriculum that goes along with the weekend teaching.” The second very important tool to use is personal testimony (live or video) or satisfied customers (“If we had not been in a group…I don’t know how we would have made it through…We feel like we have a family now…).