In our pressure-packed, time and safety-conscious society, door-to-door visitation has all but disappeared. However, many people with active lives still feel comfortable talking on the phone. A telephone contact with a prospect or a recent visitor to your Small Group may be the most energy-efficient way to help your group grow. (You could always send an e-mail, but that lacks the intimacy and warmth of a personal call).
I make about a dozen calls each week to visitors and prospects while I'm riding in my car from one appointment to another. I very rarely encounter someone who doesn't appreciate the thoughtful contact. It makes a positive impression on a newcomer. It also can be encouraging to someone on the margins of your Small Group, drawing them closer to the center of church life.
Phones are so much a part of daily life that it's natural to assume that everyone is born with the ability to use them. But, like driving a car or using a comptuer, telephone visitation is an art that can be learned and improved with practice. In making calls, try to cultivate these qualities:
1) An appealing voice - your call should ahve a congenial, personal quality that reflects Christian love. Be warm and friendly. Use the other person's name, and be upfront about your identity and purpose: "Hey, I'm so-and-so from Fort Johnson Baptist Church. I teach the Small Group you visited last week, and I'd love to know if the experience was a good one for you..."
2) A sympathetic ear - share the "air" with the person on the other end of the line. Don't just speak; listen well, too. You shouldn't sound like you're reading from a script. Ask follow up questions to comments: "How did your children like their group? How long have you lived in the area? What motivated you to try our Small Group?"
3) An informed mind - be ready to call upon biblical resources to meet the needs of the person on the other end of the line. You have a powerful, life-giving message. This other person will surely benefit from it. Don't hesistate to solicit prayer needs if that seems appropriate: "Would you mind if I made this a matter of prayer? Can I share this with the rest of the Small Group?"
4) A caring heart - recipients of church-related calls can tell the difference between hollow-sounding routine contacts and warm, personable calls that stem from genuine motives. Be sincere. Don't ramble, don't mumble, and by all means, don't be drawn into an argument about doctrines, biblical interpretations, or social issues! Be brief and thank them for talking with you.
If you're not already in the habit of making a few phone calls each week, let me encourage you to start. God wants your group to grow, and this is one of the best ways to be a good shepherd to those He has entrusted to your care.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
March 2010
What an exciting thing to consider that God has called you to the teaching ministry of His church! He is helping those in your Small Group become more Christlike through your faithfulness and availability. As you plan to teach each week, consider these four principles that will make your lessons “stick” in the hearts of your people:
1. Teach so they’ll remember. You’re not just telling your Small Group about the Bible; you want them to remember the essentials of what you teach. If they don’t remember from one week to the next what you’ve taught, then you’re not establishing knowledge; you’re just transmitting information.
It helps to give your Small Group the objective for the day. For example, “At the end of this hour, you’ll be able to list the pieces of the armor of God from memory.” It helps to have an outline; surely you have a mental picture of where you want to go with this lesson, right? It helps to actively review all during the hour. You can even have the Group repeat key points from memory throughout your lesson.
2. Teach so they’ll understand. You’re not just helping your Small Group recall facts about the Bible; you want them to live them in a consistent way. Most people at
It helps to begin with simple concepts and then move to more complex principles that meld these concepts. For example, to explain what it means to “speak the truth in love,” you may want to start by defining truth. And then love. Then explain how some people speak the truth – while losing their tempers. Explain how some people speak lovingly – while ignoring the truth of wrongdoing. How do you do both at the same time?
Set up a target for understanding. Ask yourself again and again: “How do I explain this? What examples or illustrations can I share? What confuses people about this concept?”
3. Teach so they’ll personally respond. You’re not teaching the Bible; you’re teaching people about the Bible. Make sure your Small Group is an environment in which your people feel free to share experiences, opinions, or feelings. There must be an atmosphere of freedom and openness. If there isn’t, your people will keep their ideas and experiences to themselves, and you’ll be lecturing and not teaching.
Ask subjective questions to improve openness. For example, “If you were in this situation, what would you have done?” Or “What experiences of forgiveness have you had?” Also, give attention to how you respond to wrong answers. Be sensitive. One of our
4. Teach so they’ll relate. You’re not just teaching; you’re providing opportunities for your Small Group to work together. The greatest drawback of lecturing is that people focus on the teacher, not on each other. Give your people occasions for bridge-building among themselves.
Vary the group size. Break up into smaller groups. Try husband-wife pairs. Or men and women-only groups. Or randomly divide them. By all means, plan gatherings outside the classroom. Think about a mission project. Give an assignment that will force them to work together outside of class and do the Word.
Your Small Group meeting is a success if you’ve hit the target you set up. Teach. Explain. Review. Involve everyone. Encourage a commitment.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
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?
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?
Friday, January 8, 2010
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?
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?
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