Small Groups Archives - Louisiana Baptists

A Review of Canoeing the Mountains

Louisiana Baptists — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 14:21:29 +0000

Note: this post is the thirteenth entry of a series entitled, “Rebuilding the Sunday School/Small Group Ministry in the Local Church.”

A Review of Canoeing the Mountains, Tod Bolsinger, Intervarsity Press, 2015

Author: Bill Boren, D.Min., Family Life Pastor, Covington, LA.

Christian leaders looking for helpful resources while leading in times of uncertainty may grow frustrated in their search. Bolsinger’s subtitle gives his readers hope that the contents of his book may prove helpful for Christian leaders. Published in 2015, Canoeing the Mountains may seem like a dated resource since much has changed in the past 18 months with COVID, culture, and churches. However, Bolsinger’s book proves insightful, helpful, and timely for pastors and leaders looking to lead the local church in uncertain times and uncharted territory.

The author uses the historical explorations of Lewis and Clark, tasked with the mission of finding a water passage from the east coast of the United States to the Pacific Ocean, as helpful examples to follow for those “guiding” others during difficult days. Their journey was difficult, upstream and hindered ultimately by an unexpected reality, the end of a river and the presence of the Rocky Mountains. Faced with this new and uncharted territory, the explorers had to learn to adapt if they wanted to continue to explore. The canoes were perfect for the water, but a hinderance in this new territory. Their willingness to adapt allowed them to continue their mission and lead others well while traveling “off-the-map”.

In a world that is volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous, leaders must learn new skills of adaptation to survive, let alone, achieve transformation. Leadership and leadership development must be dramatically different in comparison to yesteryear. Bolsinger declares a leader must have an adaptive capacity that mimics the western frontier explorers who were charting uncharted territory. His resource offers readers tools to help them begin the process of adaptation.

Canoeing the Mountains reminds leaders that for people to follow you off the map, they must trust you while leading them on the map. Technical competence and relational congruence are key to gaining credibility and people’s trust. If trust is lost, the journey is over. Being consistent in character and competence are essential ingredients to gaining the following needed to lead people through uncharted territory.

Bolsinger reminds his readers that engaging natives familiar with the uncharted territory is essential for those wishing to lead well (and survive) in the journey through unfamiliar land. Natives to the post-Christendom world are not unraveled by cultural changes of the day. Partnering properly with those who are familiar with the post-Christendom culture helps leaders understand and effectively minister to those in a strange and uncharted land. In other words, we must see “familiar” through a new frame and develop a willingness to experiment with new ways to minister to those inside and outside the church. The end result will be the transformation of both the leader and those he or she leads.

Canoeing the Mountains blends leadership principles, probing questions, historical references, and Scriptural insights to provide a hope-filled charge to today’s leaders in the church. Leaders will find the content helpful to provoke thinking and grapple with the dilemmas facing church leadership and congregations seeking to fulfill God’s mission in uncharted terrain. I encourage church leadership to order a copy, secure a highlighter, set aside a block of undistracted time, and begin to consider how to lead differently and more effectively in this strange, but potentially fruitful new territory.

Valuing the Importance of Small Groups in Your Church

Louisiana Baptists — Mon, 10 May 2021 16:51:57 +0000

Note: this post is the twelfth entry of a series entitled, “Rebuilding the Sunday School/Small Group Ministry in the Local Church.”

Author: Paul Keating, Discipleship and Evangelism Pastor, First Baptist Church, Denham Springs.

“Life change happens best in circles, not in rows.”

Whoever coined this phrase understood the value of small groups and their importance in the discipleship of your church. He (or she) also understood a key dimension of how God created us—to be relational. Let’s do a quick thought experiment and break this statement down.

“Life change…” = Spiritual transformation/discipleship (hopefully good!)

“…happens best” = The most conducive environment (not the only environment)

“…in circles,” = Discussions, peer engagement, shared experiences, ability to interact and question

“…not in rows.” = Plenary speaking, lecture, non-interactive experiences

You may get the feeling that I am diminishing the value and importance of preaching—which I am not. Preaching has a vital role in the faith formation of your church. Jesus taught in large groups and small groups. Matthew details Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. This sermon for the most part appears to be in a large group, lecture-type format. However, Jesus had countless encounters where He would sit down with His disciples and others at dinner, in the marketplace, and in all kinds of circumstances that were interactive and personal.

There’s a place and need for rows. The issue we have in churches today is not a problem with rows being diminished. The issue we have in churches today is a problem with circles not being valued enough.

Rick Warren has an illustration depicting five concentric circles he calls “The Levels of Commitment” of which all your church members, attendees, and prospects fall into a category. Starting from the inside and moving outward, he lists:

Core (Leaders, without whom the church would not function)
Committed (Workers, dedicated to serving and supporting)
Congregation (Official members of your church)
Crowd (People who show up… Seekers)
Community (People in reach of your church)

Think of how your church moves individuals from the outside inward. If you want to move a person from any category into your core, are you going to be more effective by engaging them through events, productions, and worship services or in small groups? Events, productions, and services are important, but only get people to the table. Small groups are where your people will best experience life change that is continual and transformational.

Healthy small group ministries drive and sustain growth in churches.

At First Denham, our small group ministry sustained and reinvigorated our church to come back strong in the wake of COVID-19. Individuals who were connected to a small group were the first to return. Many individuals who solely attended worship have yet to come back. As we look at our continual growth since the COVID shutdown, it has been our small groups’ growth driving our worship attendance higher, demonstrating a tight correlation between the two.

What does this mean for your church?

Invest heavily into your small group ministry. Realize that relationships are vital to life transformation. Start new groups regularly. Train your small group leaders often. Celebrate small groups in your services. Pray continually for God to work in the lives of your members.

For more information about the ReGroup strategy and events and resources, go to LouisianaBaptists.org/ReGroup.

A Fresh Start for Your Sunday School

Louisiana Baptists — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 18:36:21 +0000

Note: this post is the eleventh entry of a series entitled, “Rebuilding the Sunday School/Small Group Ministry in the Local Church.”

Three things your church can do to make your Small Groups more effective in our post-covid world.

No doubt, it’s been challenging to get our church ministries rolling again. Everything is different—even those foundational ministries we’ve depended on for years. As we struggle for normality, it can seem overwhelming.

Here’s the situation, there is bad news and good news. The Bad News – things will not go back to “Normal.” Stop trying to make it that way–you are only frustrating yourself. Recognize that some people are not coming back, (at least now). The Good News – You have the opportunity to be more intentional and focused. Small groups can focus more on relationships rather than just a weekly encounter at a specific time and place. We can care for, connect with, disciple and reach people in new ways. It is time to embrace reality and move forward. Here’s how:

Re-Tool Small Group Leaders – Training is more important now than pre-Covid. Address longstanding small group concerns in new and exciting ways. Equip leaders with the tools and knowledge on how to care for, connect with, disciple and reach people in new ways, for new times. Many have already incorporated new tools. Some have embraced new-found methodologies. Others are choosing to ignore the new realities and stick with tried and true methods. Regardless of how your leaders feel about the new reality, focus on how to help them customize their experience to effectively lead disciples who make disciples. Help them understand how and why. Be the one to make that happen.
The Church Must value Small Groups – Everyone from the Pastor down to the pew sitter needs to view the role of church small groups as a priority. Something becomes a priority only when given the time, energy and attention to become an effective organization. Small group ministry is hard work. The Pastor must take the lead in promoting the value of small groups and spend time to make sure groups are at peak efficiency. Every church member should be challenged to be a member of a small group. When the church begins to make small group ministry a priority, then—and only then, will it become what the church needs in order to make disciples that make disciples.
Make Disciples that Make Disciples – The Great Commission has always been the barometer for evaluating focus and effectiveness within our communities. Ask yourself…how does your church make disciples? What are the characteristics and markers of a disciple? How do your programs and ministries help accomplish the objective? Are the leaders equipped to understand their role in making disciples that make disciples? Everything a church is and does should have a purpose. Every ministry, every program, every event needs to help propel your church and your people to a closer walk with God which produces more disciples of Christ. It’s time to stop and consider, why we do what we do, every week, every month, every quarter and every year. Is what we are doing accomplishing what God wants us to accomplish?

Regardless of where you are, who you are or what you are doing, God loves you and your church. He wants you to become the people of God that He desires you to be. Right now, you have everything you need to be that church. If we can help you discover your next steps to being that church, please contact us. We are here to help.

Starting New Groups

Louisiana Baptists — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 19:41:30 +0000

Note: this post is the tenth entry of a series entitled, “Rebuilding the Sunday School/Small Group Ministry in the Local Church.”

Author: Paul Keating is the Discipleship and Evangelism Pastor at First Baptist Church, Denham Springs, LA.

Starting new groups isn’t something only bigger churches talk about, it’s vital to the health of every church. If you’re a leader entrusted with overseeing the small group ministry at your church, you’ve probably heard countless times how important it is to start new groups. I Googled the term “Starting New Small Groups” and found 1,480,000,000 results! There’s a wealth of resources out there to help you plan and start new small groups by people much more experienced than me.

So why read this article?

Good question! As a pastor who’s served in smaller and larger churches, I want you to know that starting new groups is rarely easy, especially at first. Every church and every group has its own unique personality and culture. Changing the mentality and vision for your small group ministry will take time, involve much frustration, often leave you feeling ineffective and wondering whether you have the chops for the job.

Take heart! That’s my encouragement to you.

God has called you to this task. Get past this fact. Don’t let doubt fester. That’s the enemy seeking to discourage you. You’re the person for the job, here and now! (2 Tim. 1:9)
God equips and empowers you for the task. In Joshua 24:12, God shares how He brought the Israelites into the promised land, not by their sword or bow but by His power. God has also equipped and empowered you. (Rom. 12:3-8; 2 Cor. 9:8; Phil. 1:6; Heb. 13:20-21)
Be faithful to the task He’s given you. The first two points were God’s responsibility in the matter, you also have a responsibility to God to be a faithful worker. (1 Cor. 4:2)
Read up! Be a student of your role. Two new books that cover the fundamentals of SS/Small Groups that I recommend are Breathing Life into Sunday School by Ken Braddy and Leading Small Groups by Chris Surratt. These are both very helpful in thinking through and starting new groups.
Starting building up leaders. Do you have a leadership pipeline? The health of your future groups depends on the health of your future leaders. If you can’t find leaders, then start discipling yourself through a D-Group. (Read Growing Up by Robby Gallaty.) Develop leaders you enjoy working with, who will share and follow your vision.
Start new groups. Figure it out in your context. Your methods will change and adapt as you do it. How do you start new groups? One at a time. Eventually, you’ll start multiple groups at a time; then, move on to start small group launch events. But it all starts with the “one” group.

As God works through your small group ministry and you see the fruit of His work through you, He’ll reveal Himself to you in ways you never expected. It will be your God-story to share with future leaders you enlist and will affirm you as His person for the job.

Take heart!

Sunday’s Coming—We Must be Intentional About Training New Leaders!

Louisiana Baptists — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 16:41:13 +0000

Note: this post is the ninth entry of a series entitled, “Rebuilding the Sunday School/Small Group Ministry in the Local Church.”

Author: Josh Dickson, Minister of Discipleship, First Baptist Church, Ponchatoula, LA.

Each and every year, our church choir places a priority in celebrating Christmas with a musical we call “Christmas Spectacular.” The musical is grand, the narration is superb, and the drama consistently points the viewer to Jesus. In all, the presentation is just one hour in length; however, the investment of time that our leaders train, is vast. This special event is enjoyed by all; nevertheless, the presentation quickly fades until the next Christmas season rolls around.

So goes Sunday School. Each and every week, our church has the potential to reach people, teach people God’s Word, and minister to people. Our leaders have the honor to lead people to Jesus, to point them toward Him so they may thrive in their faith and experience the transformation that only Jesus can bring. And, just like Christmas Spectacular, that occurs every year. Each and every week, our small groups need new leaders so the work of discipleship can take place, equipping the saints for the work of the ministry.

The work is vital, the task is consistent, and the impact often becomes immeasurable as we invest in the lives of men and women, training them to become leaders. Just as the choir places an emphasis on practicing each and every week in preparation for Christmas Spectacular, so must Sunday School leaders place an emphasis on training new leaders so that the work of discipleship can occur. “We should expect Sunday School leaders to be responsible and accountable for participating in a minimal level of training each year.” (David Francis, Great Expectations: Planting Seeds for Sunday School Growth, page 34.) We should expect and train new leaders, continuing the discipleship process.

I am thankful for the new people that participate in Christmas Spectacular. I am thankful for the men and women, boys and girls who give of their time, practicing so that the Christmas message can be displayed. And, each and every year, I am reminded of the time, energy and effort it takes to conduct such a display. Likewise, each and every week, I am reminded of the importance of training new leaders within the small group ministry of our church. I am thankful for the men and women that serve. I am thankful for the time and energy spent in practice so that discipleship can take place. I am thankful for the new leaders that give of themselves, in training, so that First Baptist Church Ponchatoula can lead people to trust Jesus, and encourage others to thrive in their faith. And, yes, each and every year, I am reminded that we must be intentional about training new leaders.

Sunday’s coming! There are people in our lives that need to trust Jesus. There are leaders all around us that need be enlisted and trained. Are you training new leaders? Together, let’s equip the saints for the work of the ministry! Let’s enlist and train new leaders, so those that God has placed in our care can thrive!

How To Build Small Group Relationships (with and Between Members and Non-Members)

Louisiana Baptists — Fri, 26 Mar 2021 14:25:47 +0000

Note: this post is the eighth entry of a series entitled, “Rebuilding the Sunday School/Small Group Ministry in the Local Church.”

Author: Jason Walsworth, Minister of Education, Ruston, LA

I’ll never forget the last time I was the new person at church. My wife and I walked into a Sunday School class for the first time and did not know anyone. Now, I have been on a church staff for twenty years, so that was a long time ago, but over the years, that experience has shaped me and helped me many times. It was not the nightmare you often fear. It was actually a very positive and easy experience to go from a first-time guest to engaged member of the class and we developed friendships that have lasted through the years. I wish it was that easy for every new person who visits our Sunday Schools for the first time.

As a Young Adult Sunday School teacher, I tried to emulate that experience in every class I led. As a Minister of Education, I want all of our groups to be a catalyst for growing relationships between members, non-members, and new people. Ministry is all about relationships and without relationships it is impossible for ministry to happen. There is a saying I like: “People are not looking for a friendly church. They are looking for friends.”

Here are a few things to consider that will help your groups be catalysts for developing relationships.

Set up your space to facilitate relationship-building. Circles are better than rows. It is hard to talk to someone when you are looking at the back of their head. I prefer rooms to be set up in circles or semi-circles. This makes it much easier to see everyone and it is much easier to talk and hear.
Get a greeter for your class. Find the person in your group who is a connector. This person likes to talk and meet people. Make them the class Greeter and give them the tasks of welcoming new people, introducing and connecting them to current members. This practice goes a long way in helping new people connect and stick in your church.
Get a coffee pot. Coffee brings people together. They love to talk around the coffee pot; so, if you don’t already utilize this time as people are coming in to class, get one. Give them a few minutes to talk with one another before you begin the lesson. Encourage them to fellowship. Consider having an ice breaker question to answer with another couple.
Encourage your teachers to add more group discussion time. Help your teachers see the benefit of good discussion questions that allow people to share who they are and what God is doing or has done in their lives. Common experiences, both good and bad, build community and foster acceptance.
Grow through times together outside of Sunday morning. Do something together outside of your Sunday morning space. Invite a family to go to lunch together, after church, or, go together as a class. Host a game night or plan some other fun activity. There is something special about getting together for a fellowship in someone’s home, and we have been really missing these times due to Covid. Hopefully soon, those days will return to us.

How to Restructure and Adapt Your Sunday School/Small Group

Louisiana Baptists — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 01:59:25 +0000

Note: this post is the seventh entry of a series entitled, “Rebuilding the Sunday School/Small Group Ministry in the Local Church.”

Author: J Cardinell, Associate Pastor of Education, Fairview Baptist Church, Coushatta, LA

Twenty-twenty forced us to adapt to an unprecedented reality. We adapted how we worked, how our children went to school, how we shopped, and how we went to church—all from home. As ministers and staff members, the last adaptation especially challenged us. We adapted to livestreamed services, Zoom small groups, video small group, and much more. Now, as we return to our church buildings and offices, let us not stop adapting. While 2021 might not forceus to adapt like 2020 did, the new year provides an Adaptation Opportunity to foster lifelong, transformational discipleship.

To adapt to something requires change. Change can result in a reorganization of ministries and structures. I cannot tell you what adaptations you should make or what should be reorganized in your church, because I do not know your people, culture, or context. But let me suggest: If the local church is going to seize the Adaptation Opportunity it might help to ask some questions. I want to share with you a few questions I have been asking myself as I Look Back, Look Around, and Look Forward.

Look Back:

What Were We (Are We) Doing Well, And How Can I Build On That? Each ministry has its sweet spot. Maybe it is good teaching, fellowship, or outreach. Now is the time to highlight what you do well. Call together your champions in these areas and empower them to do what they do best.

What Were We (Are We) Doing Poorly, And How Can I Improve On That? Likewise, each ministry has places where they fall short. Now is the time to seek out new champions to take on these struggling areas. This might mean they stop doing something they are good at so they can start doing something they are great at doing.

Look Around:

What New Ministry Opportunities Do You See? The essential point here is not new opportunities, but new ones that you see. The last year has highlighted different aspects of discipleship ministry. Determining which of these are positive and helpful will open doors for transformational growth.

What New Ministry Challenges Do You See? These challenges could include the loss of key leadership, declining budget numbers, lower attendance, or a general air of malaise. Each challenge calls for a different response, but each can also be an opportunity. Prayerfully consider how to turn your challenges into an opportunity to reorganize and adapt for transformational discipleship.

Look Ahead:

Where Do We Want To Go: The preceding questions help determine your present situation. Now is the time to fix your eyes on a destination. This is probably not the time for a five-year strategic plan. Looking forward to Fall or Christmas will allow you to set attainable goals and establish “wins” for your ministry leaders.

Who Do We Want To Be: Looking forward will give you the opportunity to proceed with missions and ministries. Now is the time, though, to examine the focal points of those ministries and align them to God’s vision for the church. As you adapt and reorganize, you also have the opportunity to shape the essence of your spiritual formation ministry.

Adaptation and reorganization can be challenging for people, but as my pastor says, “It is hard for people to be down on what they are up on.” Communication is essential at this time. I encourage you to go through an exercise similar to the one above with key leadership and seize this Adaptation Opportunity to foster lifelong, transformation discipleship.

How to Reinvest in Small Group Leadership

Louisiana Baptists — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 01:44:37 +0000

Note: this post is the sixth entry of a series entitled, “Rebuilding the Sunday School/Small Group Ministry in the Local Church.”

Author: Kevin Roberts, Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church, Pineville.

It is important for church leaders to reinvest in the Small Group leadership. So, why not take this opportunity to “reboot” and get back to the basics? Use these unusual circumstances to recapture the vision and purpose of Small Group Ministry.

Here are some ways our church has determined to reinvest:

Ongoing Training. We have chosen to train our leaders through a combined Small Group study of our own. Currently, we are walking through Allan Taylor’s “Sunday School Matters” video study. There are twelve sessions, so we come together and watch one video session per month. At the same time, we are also reading Ken Braddy’s book, Breathing Life into the Sunday School, focusing on one chapter per month. Our monthly leader meetings offer great fellowship and discussion of these studies. Find a study/book that meets the needs and challenges your team.

Designate an “Apprentice Day.” Schedule a recurring “Apprentice Day.” On this day, the Adult and Youth Sunday School Teachers hold a breakfast meeting during Sunday School while their apprentices teach the classes. The meeting focuses on organizing classes for ministry and growth, which accomplishes two goals: 1) developing future teachers for a growing ministry and 2) recruiting more class leaders for other roles (i.e. Fellowship, Outreach, Class Secretary, etc.).

Offer Sunday School Teachers’ Roundtable. Hold a Sunday School Teachers’ Roundtable on Wednesday nights (or any other time that suits). One teacher can lead the discussion as others share lesson plans for the upcoming Sunday, discuss the applicable Scriptures and how to encourage class members to live them out in everyday life.

Special Speakers. Engage a Bible scholar or professor for a short term unit to teach the congregation about a specific Bible doctrine, topic, or book. (This might take place on Sunday evenings.) For instance, our church invited a professor from a local college to discuss Creation and The Fall. We made the teaching event available to everyone, but emphasized it to our Sunday School Teachers. Our leadership responded so well, that we plan to do this again, each January.

Offsite Training. Encourage Teachers and other class leaders to attend an outside training event, like Louisiana Baptists’ ”ReGroup Conference” (August 14, McClendon BC, West Monroe). Our leadership will make it a “road trip,” finding somewhere good to eat, after the training, so we can debrief and fellowship. After a day of inspiration and new ideas, leaders will be excited to share.

Provide Needed Resources. Make sure teachers have the resources they need and will use! Find out what your teachers want in order to benefit while teaching their classes. Some will prefer to use Leader Packs with the maps and posters. Others may like a commentary or Quicksource. Once you know the preferences, work to provide those resources. This past year, our church bought each of our teachers the Ultimate Bible Guide. Resource your teachers as much as you can.

These are just a few ways to reinvest in your Small Group Leadership…training, equipping, learning from one another, getting others involved, hearing from experts and scholars, supplying teaching supplements, and gifting books for their personal libraries–all are ways to reinvest in your Bible champions!

For more information about the ReGroup strategy and events and resources, go to LouisianaBaptists.org/ReGroup.

Making Small Group a Priority of the Church Again

Louisiana Baptists — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 01:31:25 +0000

Note: this post is the fifth entry of a series entitled, “Rebuilding the Sunday School/Small Group Ministry in the Local Church.”

I’ve never met a Pastor who didn’t agree that the Sunday School or Small Group Ministry in their church is important. However, I have discovered that most Pastors spend very little time actually involved in the week-to-week work of making it the best it can be. Please don’t mistake this as a criticism. I’m simply asking you to evaluate how much time, energy, and resources your church puts into the Sunday School or Small Group Ministry.

When the pandemic hit, every church worked hard to make sure that Worship was online, or, available in some form for participation. The next step was to get Sunday School/Small Groups online. A lot of time and energy was devoted to making them available, but, not much direction or training was given on how to maximize the experience for members. Early on, people participated. Then, as time went on, people dropped out, or, their video feed dropped off and so did their engagement level.

Currently, most of our churches are still struggling to get people to attend weekly Bible study in-person or online. What the pandemic revealed was that we weren’t doing a great job of staying connected during the week… just on Sundays or whenever the Bible study was held. In the midst of our changing environment, we still depended on the designated weekly time to “engage” our members in Bible study and ministry. Separated by time and space, many just stopped participating, and the truth is, we are not sure why they stopped.

Consider this…pre-pandemic, the Small Group ministry in our churches was more about an event, rather than the people. It was easy when the people showed up. But, when we couldn’t see them face to face every week, our attempts to stay connected and engaged became more challenging. Now that many groups are meeting regularly, again, we are noticing lots of empty seats. And, added to that, we aren’t really reaching a lot of new people at this time.

Basically, we forgot that the main thing is connecting people to God and to each other, not to a weekly event or location. So, how do we overcome our situation and start having healthy, growing groups again?

Focus on Relationships – Pastor, love on and pay attention to your Sunday School/Small Group leaders. Encourage them, inspire them, challenge them—love on them. In turn, ask them to do the same for EVERY member of their group.
Communicate the Value and Purpose of Groups – People sense and know your priorities within the church. If you don’t talk about or engage in the leadership and direction of your Small Group ministry, these leaders will not have the same sense of urgency that you want them to have about their ministry role. Talk about it from the pulpit, in person, and in digital and print form.
Start new groups, recruit new leaders – Realize that many people will not be back. Move forward, instead of spending lots of time trying to get them back into their old groups, start new groups with new leaders– giving new opportunities for returning and new attenders. New groups grow faster and reach more people than older established groups. That’s a fact. This may not be the easiest thing you will do this year, but it could be the most significant thing you do.

How to Refocus Your Small Group Ministry

Louisiana Baptists — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 19:41:48 +0000

Note: this post is the fourth entry of a series entitled, “Rebuilding the Sunday School/Small Group Ministry in the Local Church.”

Author: Beau Guidry is the Director of Small Groups, at First Baptist Church, Moss Bluff, LA.

When I turned 40 I discovered my vision was becoming blurry. Low light situations became a struggle. It wasn’t that I couldn’t see, but that I had lost my clarity of vision. However, with a visit to the optometrist and new set lenses, I was as good as new—vision restored. Likewise, after a year full of ministry challenges, it’s time to refocus and add clarity to our Small Group ministries, so we can achieve a greater level of effectiveness through newness.

Here are four things to think about:

Evaluate your ministry. What is the current status?
How do you move forward? Is it about accomplishing the mission or filling a position?
Engagement of leadership. How can you partner with leaders so they can experience success and health in their groups?
Leading your organization to be more effective is critical, more than ever before.

Evaluating means we must take a hard look and be honest with ourselves. What’s being done? Is it effective in accomplishing the mission of reaching people? What adjustments are you willing to make in order to accomplish your Small Group ministry mission? In his curriculum, “Forward from Here,” Alan Taylor, drives home the point, “you can only move forward from where you are; not where you wish to be.” So let me encourage you, take an honest inventory of where you are, and make the needed adjustments.

Enlistment of leaders is one of the most important steps in refocusing. We may do it differently, but it remains a critical component to ministry growth. Leaders need to understand what is being asked of them, so, share the vision and mission of your Small Group ministry. After all, we’re not asking them to “fill a position,” but to “accomplish the mission.” In addition to clarity of mission, your leaders need to understand the expectations of leadership. Training should include an understanding of both the mission and steps on how to accomplish it. After all, it’s nearly criminal to ask someone to accomplish the mission without training them and providing the tools to succeed. You may elect to offer this training annually, monthly or weekly—whatever works best for your team.

Engagement of leaders is also important. Partner with your leaders to help them find success and experience health in their groups. Engagement is separate from enlistment because of the relational element. It may be time for you to sit down with your Small Group leaders and have coffee. Talk about their lives and learn about them as individuals. This part of the training will help your leaders to accomplish the mission, and give you opportunity to pastor, encourage and guide them in the unique situations of their Small Groups. In other words, Ministry Leader, be a friend to those who lead within your ministry. It’s your calling.

Expansion is the final step in the process. Starting new units is paramount to organization growth and reach. New things tend to grow more quickly, possess a greater level of health and be more flexible. Starting new groups will assist you in spreading the vision to more people with greater effectiveness. In addition to new group expansion, growth should include multiplying existing groups…examine the size of groups, so real community and conversation can take place. Remember, sitting in a circle or rows with 30 people may not provide the best format for a community that fosters life change. So, multiplying those groups will provide increased health and opportunity to accomplish the mission. Expanding your organization to be more effective is more important now than ever before. Starting new groups in the right way with properly enlisted and pastored leaders is a great spring board to a healthy, focused Small Group ministry.

Each of us are going to approach the refocusing process in our own special way, but, if you do nothing else, please take seriously the need to evaluate your current status. This is your starting point, not your finish. After more than 25 years of local church ministry, I know the power of a healthy Small Group ministry. It has created an army of people to serve and added stability to lives in this changing time. God is using effective Small Groups to lead people to Jesus and become His fully devoted followers. Is my desire that we would have a healthy growing Small Group ministry in every community of Louisiana. It starts with you. Now, what’s your next step?