Life Group. newlife. Leader Orientation. Changing Lives Through Christ-Centered Relationships. communitychurch

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1 Life Group Leader Orientation Changing Lives Through Christ-Centered Relationships newlife communitychurch

2 Goals of this workshop To help prospective small group leaders Understand the role of small groups at New Life Community Church Understand the five duties of a small group leader Understand the path toward small group leadership Revised 9/19/11 2

3 Reviewing our Purpose Our purpose is to reach people for Christ and Get them grounded, growing and on mission for Christ Someone who is grounded in Christ Places their faith in Christʼs finished work Experiences assurance of salvation through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit Publicly declares their faith through Baptism Someone who is growing in Christ Understands the faith essentials Embraces the discipleship essentials Pursues opportunities for growing together in Christ Someone who is on mission for Christ Make a commitment to the body of Christ Makes a contribution to the cause of Christ Pursues their unique role in the mission of Christ Revised 9/19/11 3

4 Reviewing our Path In order to make disciples who are grounded, growing and on mission. We encourage three involvements for everyone who calls New Life home. 1) Attending a Weekend Service Attendance at the weekend service is a baseline for staying grounded as a believer. 2) Joining a Small Group Small groups are our primary opportunity for the growing part of our mission. The first small group we encourage everyone to attend is Accelerate. 3) Participating in a Ministry Team Participating in a ministry team offers an opportunity to be on mission and make a contribution to the cause of Christ. Revised 9/19/11 4

5 The Role of Small Groups 1) Our small groups are more than a Bible Study, they are one of the two primary setting where church takes place. Small groups are were people can find a family for support and encouragement Small groups are place where people can get relationally connected to the church Small Groups are where the care of the church takes place Small Groups are a place where people can ask questions Small Groups are a place where people can exercise their gifts Small Groups are where people can practice one another ministry 2) Small Groups are the primary gathering point for the growing part of our mission. 3) Small Groups and Weekend services are two halves of one whole in the Large Group/Small Group disciple-making process. Acts 5:42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. Acts 20:20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. Large Group Activities Warm, Welcoming Fellowship Celebrative, God-directed Worship Presentational Bible-centered Teaching Small Group Activities Interactive Bible Study One Another Sharing One Another Praying Revised 9/19/11 5

6 What do our small group study? Matthew 28: 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. 1) Our small groups study the Bible 2) Our small groups normally study the Bible passage we looked at during the weekend service. 3) During the weekend service we gather together to hear Godʼs word and in the small groups we gather together to learn to obey Godʼs word. Weekend Service Small Groups Revised 9/19/11 6

7 Five Duties of a Small Group Leader As a small group leader, youʼre helping to pastor Godʼs people at New Life. Weʼre looking to you to provide the front line of spiritual support at the church. This may be different from past Bible studies youʼve attended. The difference between this and a Bible study has to do with both format and purpose. Weʼre looking at the group as a place of care and encouragement, not just a classroom. The small group is the front-line of pastoral care for the members of the church. It is a mini-church, with the leader as the pastor. Weʼre counting on you as a small group leader to mobilize the group meet the primary spiritual needs of those Godʼs entrusted to your group. 1) Invite new people to the group 2) Lead the weekly meeting 3) Facilitate care and one another ministry among your group members 4) Invest in a potential leader 5) Promote unity within the church Revised 9/19/11 7

8 Invite New People to the Group The small group leader should take initiative to lead the group in reaching out and inviting new members to his or her small group. The following are some ideas Reach out to new people before and after the weekend services. Encouraging group members to be active inviters. Using the beginning of each small group session as an opportunity to reach out to new members. Hold small group social events that can be points of entry for new people. Developing relationships by attending church events that are designed for newcomers like Connecting Point and Accelerate. Coordinating with church staff to identify and invite current church members who are not in a small group. Serve at the Small Group Tent during the beginning of each session Wear a small group name tag during the weekend service. Putting it into practice - We ask all small group leaders to. 1) Invite one person to their group each session 2) Encourage group members to invite people to the group once per session. 3) Participate in one visibility event each session this could include; serving at the small group tent, attending a connecting event, wearing your nametag during the weekend services. Revised 9/19/11 8

9 Lead the Weekly Meeting Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 1) What activities do you see listed there? 2) Which of those do feel personally drawn to the most? Three Activities that Should Mark a Small Group Meeting Interactive Bible Study Small groups should be a place where the Bible comes alive through participatory discussion. One Another Sharing - Small group meetings should provide an opportunity for people to share whatʼs going on in their life, to share joys, burdens and life together. One Another Personal Prayer Small group meetings should provide an opportunity for members to receive personal prayer and ministry. Revised 9/19/11 9

10 Small Group Meetings 1) Each group will take on a unique flavor; part of this will be a reflection of the leader. 2) We encourage our groups to provide a level of depth in keeping with the leader and members. 3) The groups are a place for interaction. As such we value a) Open participation over sit still, while I instill b) The family room feel, over the class room feel Revised 9/19/11 10

11 Interactive Bible Study 1) Small Group questions are a made for the group, not the group for the discussion questions You donʼt have to use all the questions You are free to modify the questions 2) The primary goal is to work through the passage, not work through the questions 3) We often provide a Leaderʼs Guide 4) Take advantage of online Bible Study tools Sharing and Praying 1) Break into groups of 2-3 2) Break into men and women (where applicable) 3) Let your leader-in-training lead a group Revised 9/19/11 11

12 Communion in the Small Groups Christ calls us to take communion In remembrance of Him (Luke 22:19). We serve communion from time to time in our weekend services and large group settings, but the primary place communion happens is in our small groups. Communion takes place in the groups monthly, usually on the third week of the month. See the small group calendar for details Ideas for serving communion: Revised 9/19/11 12

13 Sample Small Group Schedule Getting Settled/Catching Up Welcome Opening Prayer Announcements Introduction Discussion Questions Sharing Prayer Total 10 minutes 1 minute 1 minute 3 minutes 5 minutes 30 minutes 10 minutes 10 minutes 1 Hour 10 minutes Revised 9/19/11 13

14 Biblical Paradigm for Small Groups Exodus 18:13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. 14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?" 15 Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws." 17 Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. 19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. 20 Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. 21 But select capable men from all the people--men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain--and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied." 24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 26 They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves. 27 Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country. 1) Read verse 14, when one person tries to do it all alone what do the rest of the people end up doing? 2) Jethro asks Moses a question why do you alone sit as judge? Look at Mosesʼ response in verse 15 and 16 based on that response, why do you think Moses was doing all the work all by himself? 3) Read verse 15, why do you think everyone took their problems to Moses and not to anyone else? Revised 9/19/11 14

15 4) Read verses 17 and 18. Why is Mosesʼ method not good? 5) What change does Jethro prescribe in verse 21? 6) What process does Jethro suggest in verse 22? 7) What good results are pointed to in verse 23 what is the benefit for the leader? What is the benefit for the people? Revised 9/19/11 15

16 Observations from Exodus 16 1) Caring for peopleʼs needs is a not a one-man show. Vs ) When one person does all the ministry everybody else tends to stand around. Vs 14 3) The one-man show results when people have not been giving another place to go. Vs ) Changing the one-man show approach may require changing the expectations of both the followers and the leader. Vs ) When one person provides all the care, people get tired of waiting and the leader gets tired of serving. Vs 18 6) Godʼs places capable people in our midst that can turn around and help care for others. Vs 21 7) Itʼs best to get the care as close to the people as possible. Vs 22 8) Caring for people happens effectively when people can get the level of help they really need. Vs 22 Lower level needs are meet at lower levels without unnecessary waiting Higher level needs are effectively by higher level leaders who arenʼt drowning in entry level issues. 9) A decentralized, layered approach to meeting needs results in healthy, cared for followers, and healthy, focused leaders. Vs 23 10) Groups are ten are a great starting point for pastoral care. Vs Revised 9/19/11 16

17 Small Group Care Objectives 1) To encourage one another ministry among the members. Love one another John 13:34 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love Romans 12:10 Instruct one another Romans 15:14 Greet one another Romans 16:16 Serve one another in love Galatians 5:13 Carry each otherʼs burdens Galatians 6:2 Be kind and compassionate to one another Ephesians 4:32 Forgive each other Ephesians 4:32 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs Ephesians 5:19 Submit to one another Ephesians 5:21 Bear with each other Colossians 3:13 Admonish one another Colossians 3:16 Encourage one another 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Confess your sins to each other Hebrews 10:25 Pray for each other James 5:16 Offer hospitality to one another James 5:16 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others 1 Peter 4:10 2) To handle as many needs as possible within the group. Examples of Care Spiritually supporting people through difficult times Providing Biblical encouragement Praying for the members of the group Meeting practical needs in the group o Someone needs a ride o Meals for the sick Visiting someone who is ill, or in the hospital 3) To not hesitate to refer a problem that is too big for the group. If you where to refer the person, contact them directly. If you are unsure, contact your small group point person to direct you to available resources. Revised 9/19/11 17

18 Invest in a Potential Leader 2 Timothy 2:2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. Question - Why is a co-leader a good idea? How does a co-leader help you? How does a co-leader help the group? How does a co-leader help the church? What to Look for in a potential leader Faithful Available Teachable Five Step Process I do, you watch I do, you help You do, I help You do, I watch You repeat the process with someone new Practical Places to Start Have your LIT (leader in training) share the announcements Have your LIT take attendance Have your LIT open the group in prayer Have your LIT do the Getting Started questions Have your LIT handle of a couple pre-assigned questions Have your LIT lead a break out prayer group Have your LIT make care calls during the week Have your LIT lead the group while you watch Have your LIT lead the group when youʼre gone Revised 9/19/11 18

19 Promote Unity Within the Church 1) By staying in doctrinal alignment with the church. Be careful about promoting a doctrinal position when you unsure of the churchʼs position. Be careful about controversial issues where Christians of good conscience differ. If you are unsure on a church position, contact your small group coordinator. 2) By staying in contact with the church By turning in the monthly small group report By participating in Monthly leaderʼs rally 3) By getting necessary approvals Before appointing a leader in training all leaders in training need to be cleared by your small group coordinator. Before using any new teaching material. 4) By supporting the vision, direction, and decisions of the church If you find yourself unable to support the church on a given subject, approach the appropriate leader to discuss the matter outside of the group. 5) By Biblically resolving conflict Revised 9/19/11 19

20 A Biblical Model for Resolving Conflict You can help promote unity in the church by modeling the problem solving approach found in Matthew 18 and encouraging group members to do the same. Matthew 18:15 If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that`every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. Three Steps for Putting it into Practice 1) Talk to the person individually, if that doesnʼt work 2) Bring someone else ideally another group member, if that doesnʼt work 3) Report the problem to the church - start with your small group coordinator or other applicable leaders. Revised 9/19/11 20

21 Nuts and Bolts In the following weʼre cover 1) Small Group Sessions 2) The Yearly Small Group Calendar 3) Small Group Social Events 4) Small Group Leader Position Description 5) Small Group Monthly Report 6) Next Steps for Small Group Leaders Revised 9/19/11 21

22 Small Group Sessions Intro: In order to provide unity and alignment in our mission of making disciples through small groups, we ve divided the calendar year into small group sessions. These sessions allow a focused, all church opportunity to promote small groups in our church. Why We Have Small Group Sessions To benefit from the synergy of an all church focus To provide uniform start and stop times for our small groups. To leverage a strategic window for promoting small groups in the church. With a uniform start time, we can communicate 1 small groups to church, knowing that the small groups will in fact be meeting. To provide built in breaks for our leaders and members Sessions provide a uniform rhythm for doing ministry and also resting. We ve tried to schedule the sessions when people normally re-engage, and scheduled the session breaks when people would normally be taking a break anyway. To allow a uniform time to schedule communion and other in group activities. When are the sessions? January Session 2 nd week of January through Spring Break Spring Session The week following Spring Break and/or Easter through the end of June Summer Session/Summer Break first week of July through 1 st week of September Fall Session - 2 nd week of September (after Labor day) through the week leading up to Thanksgiving Why are sessions scheduled during these times? We tried to recognize what was already happening and capitalize on it. We noticed that traditionally people take a break over the summer and holidays (breaks in our session) and re-engage after the first of the year, at the beginning of Fall, and after Spring break (times when our sessions begin) Do Small Groups Have to Take a Break? Small groups do not need to take a break. Small groups can continue to meet through the year. But there may be some weeks during the non-session times when 1 For several weeks prior to the beginning of a small group session we try to communicate small groups in the following way Put a list of small groups in the bulletin Make an announcement during the service inviting people to attend a small group Have a small group tent outside the service Place small group information on the blog and Facebook Revised 9/19/11 22

23 questions are not provided. These weeks without questions are noted on the small group schedule. How does the Summer Session/Summer Break work? Three Things to Know about the Summer Session This is an opportunity for groups to go on break Many groups take a break over the summer, some continue meeting, some meet but with a modified schedule. This is an opportunity for groups to study alternate curriculum Normally groups are synced with weekend service and study the same passage. Summer is an opportunity to study alternate topics. Alternate curriculum must be pre-approved by the small group staff leader If you chose to study a different topic over the summer, please make sure you get prior approval from your staff leaders. Revised 9/19/11 23

24 Can we take a break other than the official break times? A small group leader can take a break whenever they need to. The purpose in aligning break times was so that groups would break when people do, and be up and running when people are looking to re-engage. The downside of taking a break in the middle of a session, is that new church members may attend your group at the beginning of a session, only to discover that it is stopping in a few weeks. Small Group Session Ramp Ups Intro: Prior to the start of a small group session we put energy into getting small groups up and running and inviting new members into these groups. Purposes of the Small Group Ramp ups Refocus/Reactivate existing small group leaders and small group members Recruit new leaders for new groups Re-communicate the value of small groups to the church. Rally new members to the small groups A small group ramp up includes the following A re-confirmation of existing small group leaders prior to the start of a session we check in small group leaders to see if their groups will be continuing. An opportunity for new small group leaders to launch The session is a great time for new groups to launch so that can benefit from the visibility that comes with via the all church communication. Clear and compelling communication for members to join small groups Leading up the start of the session we highlight small groups via announcements, videos, the bulletin, the blog, Facebook, small group tent. A review and revision of small group materials Prior to the start of the session we review and revise the small group website, list of small groups, etc, to communicate the most accurate information. This is a time to communicate any changes in meeting times, locations, etc. A strong Sunday presence for small group leaders The start of a session is a time for Small group leaders to be an active part of the weekend service by inviting members to their groups, serving at the small group tent, etc. Revised 9/19/11 24

25 The Small Group Calendar To help SG leaders plan ahead we provide a Small Group calendar. This calendar shows upcoming message topics (along with the Bible text), the start and stop of small group sessions, communion dates, and whether or not small group questions will be provided. The calendar is formatted on an excel spreadsheet using rows and columns. The following tips will help you make use of the info in the columns more pertinent to our small group leaders. Sessions- In this column we indicate the start and stop times for each session -. Questions This column indicates whether or not small group questions will be provided during a given week. As youʼll see, questions are provided while groups are in sessions. Itʼs usually holiday weeks where questions may not be offered. For weeks in which there are no questions, small group leaders can cover alternate topics, or have social event. Communion - Communion is celebrated in our small groups monthly. Specifically, at the group meeting following the third Sunday of each month. These dates are indicated on the calendar and appear for every month. Obviously if your group is on break you will not be celebrating communion on that given month. Tent This column indicates dates where the Small Group tent will be set up. These dates are usually in preparation for the start of a session. Mark these dates so you can play a part in hosting the Small Group tent. Reporting We ask all small group leaders to forward a monthly attendance report. This report should be turned in no later than the next monthly Leaderʼs meeting. The form can be found online and turned in electronically. Revised 9/19/11 25

26 Yearly Small Group Calendar Revised 9/19/11 26

27 Small Group Social Events Often times members of a small group get together for special activities. Going out to dinner, bowling, a beach day. We recognize that in some cases, these social activities could hold interest for members of our church who are not part of that small group. So from time to time, we provide an way for certain small group activities to be opened up to the larger group family. If you are interested in opening up your event, the following guidelines will get you started. What are the specific guidelines for the events that get communicated? Events must have the support of the small group leader. Events should generally be embraced by enough of the small group to make it feel like itʼs a group-sponsored event (as opposed to the interest of a single member). Events must reflect well on Christ and the church. Events must not conflict with church activities or other events on the church calendar Events must receive staff approval. Are there things we want to avoid? Events that because of their size start to take on an all church feel. Events that because of their content create a possible confusion with current church programs. Events that because of their regularly occurring nature begin to take on a life of their own and form a new regular involvement in a personʼs relationship with the church. Events that are really a platform for the interest of a single member and not truly reflective of a small group based social event. Revised 9/19/11 27

28 How your event can be communicated What we do Inclusion in our Group Life Communication - Events will be communicated to the church via inclusion in the Group Life list of activities. This list will appear In the bulletin As a handout at the information table Posted on the website On the blog Announcements - From time to time we may also make an announcement highlighting the presence of the group life list. In this announcement we will encourage members to get more information by connecting with the contact person you provide for your event. What we donʼt do Announce individual events from the stage Place individual sign up sheets and flyers on the information table Church wide s generated by the small group Dates to schedule around Small group events should compliment and not conflict or compete with other church events. The following are events that should be scheduled around Leaderʼs Rally/Ministry Rallies Biannual (or however often) Family Events Sponsored by Kidzlife Parent-Teen Banquet Easter Weekend Baptisms Revised 9/19/11 28

29 Position Description Small Group Leader (Position Description) Overview: The role of the Small Group leader is to help people grow in their faith by gathering together to study God s word, share God s love and support each other spiritually. Roles/Duties Invite new people to your group Lead the weekly meeting Facilitate care and one another ministry among group members Invest in a potential leader Promote unity within the church Expectations/Activities Invite one person to your small group (per session) Make one inviting reminder to small group members (per session) Participate in one Small Group visibility activity each session Spend time to pray and prepare for the weekly meeting Lead a weekly meeting that includes: o Interactive Bible study o One another sharing o One another praying Make a care contact with each group member (once per session) Invest in a potential leader by inviting a member to take on one new responsibility (per session) (see SG orientation for ideas) Record and report small group attendance (monthly) Attend the monthly leader s rally (monthly) Have a 1 on 1 meeting with your coach (quarterly) Revised 9/19/11 29

30 Small Group Monthly Report The monthly small group report provides a snapshot as to the health of small groups at New Life. We use this info to. Find out which members are in groups and are being cared for, and which members we still need to reach out to. Find out which groups are meeting, which are on breaks, or any changes in the group Find out progress thatʼs happening in the life of the small groups, care needs, etc Receive prayer requests from our small group leaders Evaluate our overall effectiveness at moving members to small groups When to turn in the report -The small group report should be turned in 2 no later than two weeks after the close of the month, specifically, no later than the following monthʼs Leaderʼs Rally 3.. Leaderʼs Rallies are normally the second Monday of the month. If you come to the Rally and have not yet turned in your report. Report forms will be available at the Leaderʼs Rally and you can take time at the Rally to complete the form.. How to turn in the report the form can be turned in three ways 1) Good Old Fashioned Paper You can get paper copies of the form from the small group director. After filling it out, you can take the completed form and either mail it in, drop it off or send it via horse drawn carriage. 2) Download the Microsoft Word version The form is available for download at You can fill it out on your computer, and then the completed form to groups@newlifecommunitychurch.net 3) Fill out the form online and hit send You can complete the form online at 2 The monthly report is only turned in for months in which your small group meets. If your group is on break, no report needs to be submitted. 3 This means the September report should be turned in no later than the October Leaderʼs Rally Revised 9/19/11 30

31 Small Group Report Name of Leader This Report is for the month of. Attendance: Who attended your group this month? Anyone your group? Did anyone new attend your group this month? Do you know if any new people were invited? Care contacts? We ask small groups to make one care contact per session to each member of their group. List below any contacts you made this month? Who are you investing in? We ask small group leaders to invest in a potential leader. Who did you invest in this month? What responsibility did you ask them to share? How can we pray for you? Are there any prayer needs you have? Please let us know so we can pray for you! Revised 9/19/11 31

32 Next Steps for Small Group Leaders I have completed Intro to Leadership I have completed Small Group Leader training I have meet with my small group director and: o Reviewed the Spiritual Growth Check up o Reviewed the Leadership Profile o Committed to the Leadership Responsibilities I have received the official thumbs up from the small group director to start a group I have gathered a core group of three households (You count as one of the three!) I have turned in the items to publicize my small group o Photo o Date and time of Group o Contact Phone Number o Contact Now you re ready to go! Revised 9/19/11 32