hwc Small Group Handbook A Manual for Leaders and Coordinators Adult Discipleship Ministries @ Hayward Wesleyan Church (HWC) Healthy churches are defined by their relationship with both God and others. In smaller churches, helping others develop relationship with God and others within the church happens in a more organic way. However, larger churches need structures to help guide these relationships. Without structures in place, people begin to fall between the cracks, and their relationship with God and others suffers. At Hayward Wesleyan we believe that gospel centered communities, called small groups, exist to ensure we are becoming a community closely intertwined with God and others. Our primary strategies of pastoral care, discipleship, and disciple making take place in our small group communities. Our Vision: Small groups exist to produce gospel-centered communities in Northwest Wisconsin that are nurturing disciples who make disciples and participate in God s redemptive work in the world.
Our Mission: To move Christian community faithfully and lovingly in Four Directions: Upward We are living out the gospel together. We do this by connecting to Christ through consistent, daily time with God, increasing the amount of prayer in group meetings, and praying with other members of the group during and in between meetings. Inward We are connecting with other members outside meeting times to become true friends. We stress serving others, asking for help (including big favors), and learning to overlap their lives (shop together, hang out together, eat together, exercise together, serve in a ministry that supports the Sunday gathering together, etc.). Outward We are connecting with unchurched friends, family members, other students, neighbors, and coworkers. We encourage relating to unchurched people socially well before any invitation to a small group is extended. We regularly think outside our own needs and ask ourselves how this community can co labor and participate in God s mission to the world. Forward We believe that, like families, healthy communities will reach maturation and "grow up and move out of the house" when it comes to small group membership. Healthy groups train disciples who leave groups so that they can start new groups. We challenge the members to abandon the "I like it here and don't want anything to change" mentality because it promotes personal stagnation. The gospel results in deep community but not relational cul de sacs.
Leadership Structure As stated earlier, larger churches necessitate more structure in order for the people in the church to care for the needs and growth of one another. However, at the same time, larger churches need to be especially conscientious of how systems and structures can become impersonal and mechanistic. Hayward Wesleyan has created a structure based on networks of strong interpersonal relationships. Below is how small groups operate and are structured in our church: Small groups are our primary strategy for ongoing discipleship in the church. People give love and receive Christ s love in small groups. It is the place where believers of all maturities are encouraged to engage in the Scriptures and pray, as well as are challenged to live out the gospel week to week. Small groups are the frontline of pastoral care at Hayward Wesleyan. Each member takes on responsibility to care for the souls of others within his or her community. The leader(s) of that small group community must model that care. Group leaders are in turn encouraged and challenged regularly through their leadership huddle, where they deepen relationship with a handful of other leaders. Huddles are led by a huddle coordinator who is an experienced small group leader and is able to mentor and form a band consisting of three to five small group leaders. Huddle coordinators in turn meet regularly with Pastor Heath, who trains, encourages, and challenges them. Within this infrastructure, the distance between any person in a small group and the pastoral staff is three short steps. This structure exists to provide a smaller church feel and to help proliferate biblical community at Hayward Wesleyan.
Leadership Huddles Expectations for Huddles Huddle Coordinators oversee small group huddles. Leader huddles consist of four to eight small group leaders who form a team of support, accountability, and encouragement throughout the year. Huddles are required to meet face to face at least three times a year: once in August, once in January, and once in May. Because small groups are the hub of discipleship multiplication and pastoral care, leadership huddles are not optional. HUDDLES ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE WELL BEING AND ONGOING LEADERSHIP GROWTH AND MULTIPLICATION AT HAYWARD WESLEYAN. Small group leaders should view this commitment as greater than their commitment to their respective small group. Although it is important for an airline pilot to fly a plane, it is even more important that he or she has received adequate training on how to fly the plane! Without supportive, ongoing training, even the most sincere pilot is destined to crash and burn. In the same way, leading a small group without supportive, ongoing training is destined for failure. Leadership huddles will provide the ongoing training, support, and guidance necessary to successfully transport disciples from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity. Requirements for Huddles Small group huddles will provide a decentralized way of making sure leaders are receiving support and care, as well as are being accountable, throughout the year. Face to face huddles will take place at least three times a year. Leaders will meet in their first huddle in the late summer/early fall (August/September), the second after the new year (January), and the third at the end of the spring (May/June). Of course, HWC encourages meeting more often than this, and in some contexts meeting more often might be necessary. Below briefly describes the nature of each of the huddles: Fall Huddle- (takes place in late August/early September). Each huddle coordinator contacts those in his or her huddle. They meet to pray and discuss goals, challenges, and expectations for the upcoming year. They spend the time in prayer, planning, and fellowship. One of the primary goals of this huddle is simply relationship building. The more Christ centered and
authentic the relationships among leaders are, the more transparency and trust will exist among those leaders. Subsequently, those leaders will possess a greater support system. We want these meetings to feel less like obligations and more like rich times of relationship. Winter Huddle- (takes place in mid to late January) This face to face huddle will be more like a halftime pep talk. What are things looking like on the playing field? How are groups performing? Are groups gaining traction in the four areas listed above (inward, outward, upward, forward)? What areas need improvement in the groups? What is going well? This meeting might look like having lunch or dinner together or taking a hike or meeting in a home. Food, conversation, and prayer are a must. The huddle members spend this time discussing challenges, swapping stories, celebrating victories, and exchanging resources with one another. Coordinators need to make sure this time is one of motivation and conviction so that weary leaders receive encouragement and stay true to the mission. Spring Huddle- (takes place in late May) In this recapping of the year, small group leaders discuss challenges and celebrate victories. This might look like a larger celebration picnic led by Pastor Heath with all small group leaders present. During the time together individual huddles can break out for prayer and recapping of the year. Phone and Email- Coordinators are also responsible for creating a system in which those in the huddle are communicating and praying over the phone or through e mail weekly. These conversations might include praying about personal issues, conversing over a difficult biblical text they have been studying, discussing how a group meeting went, or working through personal issues. It might look like swapping curriculum or sharing sermon downloads or podcasts. It might look like setting up a one on one, face to face meeting if a leader needs advice, admonishment, or encouragement. The point of this weekly communication is to build relationships and grow as people and leaders in the huddle.
Leadership Expectations What is a small group? Small groups are basic Christian communities. Hayward Wesleyan believes that discipleship, evangelism, and care are best carried out in a community context and that small groups provide that context. They are gatherings of 3 to 12 people meeting in homes, workplaces, restaurants/coffee shops, and the church throughout the week. They seek to develop biblical community by pursuing God and experiencing His presence together. In this process, community is developed and fostered, and people are nurtured, equipped, and released for the purpose of participating in God's redemptive work in the world. Small groups provide opportunities for intimacy, support, prayer, practical love and service, instruction about the Christian faith, and sharing of what the members see God doing in their midst. The groups are led or co led by trained and mature lay leaders from the congregation. What does a leader do? Simply stated, a small group leader prayerfully and intentionally facilitates and shepherds the kind of community mentioned above. The leader moves the community in four directions: upward, inward, outward, and forward, ever keeping the gospel central to all that takes place. A small group leader is the functional shepherd of a small group community, providing care, oversight, wisdom, and encouragement to the group members. By no means is the leader the only leader or minister in the group. In fact, when groups are being well led, the leader of the group may be indistinguishable from the members because each member is playing his or her part and is exercising his or her gifting in that small group community. Qualifications Is a follower of Jesus in a growing relationship with Him Is passionate about God and compassionate in his or her relationships with others Has a firm grasp of the gospel and reflects its functioning in his or her life Is growing personally as evidenced through: Fruit of the Spirit flowing in his or her life Regular reading and studying of the Scriptures A growing prayer life Evidence of Christian relationships in his or her life
Is in a small group Can share his or her own testimony and articulate the gospel in a concise and clear way Is intentional about developing relationships with others and assisting in the spiritual growth of others Has participated in a small group for at least one year before leading, and faithfully attends a Sunday morning worship service Lives a life that is above reproach, consistent with the qualifications for leadership set forth in I Timothy 3 for overseers Has received appropriate training and has been approved by the pastoral staff at Hayward Wesleyan Church Expectations As an active small group leader, beyond leading a group and fulfilling the expectations mentioned above, the leader is expected to: Attend periodic small group leadership meetings and required training events Meet in leadership huddles with other leaders throughout the year Report to Pastor Heath and the leader s huddle coordinator throughout the year (Pastor Heath will e mail all leaders monthly as the regular form of communication. This e mail correspondence will be called Life Together and will be used for communicating with and encouraging leaders. If an e mail asks for information from a leader regarding his or her group, an appropriate response time is within the week.) Commit to live in harmony with and submission to the body and leadership of Hayward Wesleyan Church
Leadership Training Training in discipleship in the Scriptures is never static and cerebral; it is dynamic and relational. Jesus training of the Twelve was always grounded in real life. HWC seeks to emulate that model. We believe that the best way to be be gospel centered takes place in three primary areas: conviction, character, and competence. Conviction Training in conviction comes through knowing, studying, and intentionally applying the gospel to one s life. Conviction training takes place through helping leaders grow in their understanding of the rich implications of what the gospel is and exploring how these truths relate to all areas of life. This kind of training is informal, coming through the process of discipleship in the context of Christian community. Character Training in character results from learning one s own needs and areas for growth in the Christian life and applying the teachings of Christ to those specific needs and areas. Character training comes through corporate and private spiritual disciplines in the life of a believer, and the result of character training is a life more reflective of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5). Competence Competence training takes place through receiving knowledge and experience in small group leadership. Although a class or workshop on small group leadership may be appropriate at times, competence will come most readily through the process of modeling and practicing. Training Resources For any person who is interested in leading a small group or who desires more training in his or her current leadership, HWC is using the manual Real life Discipleship Training Manual (Putman/Willis/Guindon/Krause, NavPress Publishing). This manual, which guides readers through a twelve week training, is intended to be worked through in the context of relationship with a leader and a small group of people. This training is offered as needed. If interested in the training or in becoming a trainer, please contact Pastor Heath.
Apprentices What is an apprentice? Every leader needs to identify an apprentice in the group. Pragmatically, that person is the backup for the leader. However, biblically this person has a heart for God, shows evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit, and reflects a heart to reach into the lives of others with the gospel. The goal of an apprentice is leadership. Ultimately, apprentices, as they mature in the three areas listed above (conviction, character, and competence), will take responsibility for and will lead in discipling others in community. What are the expectations for an apprentice? 1. A relationship with Jesus Christ 2. A grasp of the gospel as well as evidence that it is flowing through his or her life 3. Participation in a small group and attendance at Sunday morning worship service 4. Hunger to grow personally, that is, a self feeder who Studies the Scriptures Prays regularly Seeks out counsel and guidance 5. A heart for relationships a contributor to (not just a consumer in) relationships As an apprentice develops into a leader and perhaps becomes interested in leading his or her own group, we encourage that apprentice to commit to going through Real Life Discipleship Training Manual. This manual is excellent for transitioning into small group leadership. If small group leaders know of anyone in their groups hungry for training, those leaders should contact Pastor Heath about those group members participation in a training group where they can go through this manual with others.