February 2010

One of the greatest indicators of the health of any Small Group is: are the members anticipating their next meeting? When people think about next Sat. or Sun., what do you suppose would stand in the way of their being there? Do they want to be there? Do they even think about it at all during the week? If people arrive early each week to Small Group, that’s a great indication that they want to be there. If they drag in late (or if they’re chronically absent), that’s an indication that something is wrong.

Typically, Small Groups fall into one of three categories (and the leaders have a significant impact on this division):

Generative groups produce spiritual power. Like a generator in a home, they make an impact. They don't squander their potential. There is a strong sense of mutual purpose. Much like what we’ve been talking about in our sermon series, there is a sense of a singular vision, a clear direction for why the group is meeting. The combined effort of everyone in the group leads them to accomplish bigger things than any one individual could. There are no benchwarmers. Everyone participates and everyone grows in one way or another (and I’m not just talking about through eating donuts!) They grow in their love for God, in their understanding of His plan, and in their awareness of their giftedness. A generative group will have conflicts at times (that’s the nature of working with people), but will try to become better and closer through it. This kind of group also inspires other people; people on the outside want to be on the inside. The early church is a great example of a generative group. (See Acts 2:42).

Habitual groups are repetitive in nature. They’re the ones who keep meeting and doing because they’ve always been meeting and doing. They’ve forgotten the reason for their existence, and yet they are comfortable with seeing the same faces year after year and don’t want to face the challenge of growing the group and risking failure or changing the group dynamics. There’s a general lack of passion. There’s no courage or sacrifice. Making things happen is not exciting to this group. Habitual groups want to duck their heads and run away from challenges. They deny or ignore their problems. They sweep things under the rug or play “nice” to each other. They’re confused why, in their attempt to keep everything comfortable, there always seems to be a little fever of conflict over trivial things. (See 1 Corinthians 3:1-3).

Toxic groups are poisonous. Like toxic air or chemicals, they make people sick. They’re filled with people who operate from a me-first spirit. They measure everything from the standpoint, “What’s in it for me?” Toxic groups are marked by low morale (no sense of future or vision) and a tendency to blame others (“Someone else is at fault for all our problems”). They also drag down the church as lots of energy is spent by the leadership trying to do damage control. People get cynical, burned out, slanderous, and bitter. This kind of group is dangerous to younger people and to new Christians. Instead of seeing people get plugged in to the life of the church, they see people leave the group and, sometimes, the church. The church at Laodicea is a great example of a toxic group (See Rev. 3:15-16).

I don’t know if you’ve ever thought about Him this way, but Jesus was the ultimate Small Group leader. He lead a Small Group of 12 through some incredible circumstances. He showed us that the key to leading a generative group is to motivate them to seek and save the lost (See John 4:36). He asked them to surrender familiarity and safety, control and recognition. He gave them the courage to think differently.

What kind of Small Group are you leading? What steps do you think you could take to help your group be more generative in nature?

Discussion #1 January 2010

Some Small Groups grow while others decline in numbers. Why is this? Well, there are several reasons. It's often been said that people who have been trained to recognize counterfeit money don't study counterfeit money; they study the real money so that they can immediately see the fake. Here's what the excellent Small Groups have in common:

1) They communicate well. The Small Groups that are flourishing at Fort Johnson have members that are in constant conversation over the course of the week. The leaders of these groups make mid-week contacts by phone, e-mail, or Facebook. If you're expecting the people on your roll to just show up each weekend without building relationships with them outside of church, then you're surely not seeing many positive results.

2) They choose great topics. The Small Groups that are flourishing at Fort Johnson pick great studies that address both felt needs and deeply spiritual questions. "Forty Weeks of Levitical Law" is not going to attract any curious seekers. "The Best Question Ever" by Andy Stanley will.

3) They publicize their group to the church. The Small Groups that are flourishing at Fort Johnson are excited about what is happening, and they let the church know that! They take advantage of Media Shout to post their topics on the weekend announcements. They ask the pastors to mention new studies during the greeting times of the worship services. They publish their topics in the worship guide and Family News. And they contact everyone on their roll (even inactive members) whenever they're about to begin a new study.

I've got to believe that you are not interested in teaching a "holy huddle," but that the thought of new attendees and even lost people being introduced to Christ through your Small Group is exciting! Are you doing the three things listed above to put your Small Group in the best possible situation to grow?