Recruiting, Training and Sustaining Small Group Leaders For Every Size Church

Church of the Resurrection Purpose Statement: “To Build a Christian Community Where Non-Religious and Nominally Religious People are Becoming Deeply Committed Christians.”

Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis “It is easy to think that the Church has a lot of different missions– education, building, missions, holding services…the Church exists for nothing else but to draw men (people) into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became man for no other purpose.”

Who Owns Your Purpose? Do you rent? Or do you own?

Who Fulfills Your Purpose? Have Your Leaders Bought Into Being Owners?

Steps in the Development of Small Group Leaders: Identify Recruit Empower Deploy Sustain

IDENTIFY Best Leaders Lead! Disciple-makers instead of committee leaders Your Most Engaging Church Attenders (not necessarily your most knowledgeable ones) Introductory Classes (such as a Bible 101, Alpha Course, etc) Personality Types (Enneagram [1], Myers/Briggs[ENFJ, ESFJ]), Spiritual Gifts (Teacher, Pastor/Teacher, Helper), Passionate

IDENTIFY Train existing leaders to spot potential in others Gage interest when people join the church. Brainstorm as a Staff and Leadership Team Raise Up by Mentoring

When You Think of Moses, what image do you see?

When You Think of Moses, what image do you see?

Before He Was Ever That…He was this!

You Are Not Calling People to Under Go Torture… You are Inviting Them to Make a Difference in the World

Recruit Planting Seeds… Have you ever considered… I would like for you to consider… Here are the concrete reasons I believe you can do this Talk about the Fulfilling the Purpose of the Church Make the Pitch with No Arm Twisting Listen to Their Barriers and Seek to Eliminate/Reduce Them Give Them an Out- “Try it for a year…”

Casting a Vision Kyle Holt- Other than my wife and kids, my small group means more to me than anything else…brainstorm about advantages to being in a small group

Empower The Basics… Trial Leadership (Short-term offering) How to Facilitate a Small Group The Purposes of a Small Group (Knowing, Loving, Serving) Intentionality Trial Leadership (Short-term offering) Investing in them- Leading the Leaders Starter Kits and Curriculum Make Training and Yourself Easily Accessible

10 Commandments of Small Group Leadership 1. I am the Lord Your God, Small Groups Develop My Disciples. Your Group Shall Have No Other gods Before Me. Do Not Misuse God’s Name By Making Your Thoughts His Thoughts. Remember Thy Small Group Day and Keep It Holy. Honor Your Fellow Small Group Members and You Shall Prosper. You Shall Not Kill Your Fellow Members with Biting Words. You Shall Not Commit Adultery. You Shall Not Steal Your Small Group Members Time with Frivilous Talk. You Shall Not Bear False Ideas for the Sake of Arguing. You Shall Not Covet Your Neighbor’s Great Stories of Faith, but Go Out and Make Your Own.

Deploy Fellowship Event Large or Small Group Teaching Event Group Members Commit to One Study Together Make Introductions Before First Session Make Certain Leaders Have the Right Tools to Succeed Handouts Lesson Plan Vision

Leaders Cannot Enter the Promised Land… Kyle Holt- Other than my wife and kids, my small group means more to me than anything else…brainstorm about advantages to being in a small group

Sustain Regular Check-in’s Assessibility of Leader/Tools Training Events or Brainstorming with Other Leaders Encouragement- Share Good Things You’ve Heard Encouragement from the Group Showing Appreciation Teaching Event Lead the Leaders

Starting is Easy…Sustaining the Course Can Be Hard Golden Calves are Easy to Make