Reading: Launching Small Groups (Slides)

Launching Small Groups

Henry Reyenga

Launch A Test Group: Everybody Wants To Be A Part Of Something Exclusive

They want to be on the cutting edge. If Apple called you right now and said, "We're trying to figure out if this new product would work. Would you be willing to give it a shot?”

Reed, Ben (2013-10-30). Starting Small: The Ultimate Small Group Blueprint (pp. 28-29). Rainer Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

Testing And Church Planting Go Well Together

On the creator’s side, test groups help an organization know what works and what doesn't. They allow an organization to try new things in new ways with new people, without the cost of a full product launch. Launching a new line of products drains a lot of resources, and it is incredibly risky. Test groups minimize the risk by helping determine— in advance—what will work and what will fail.

Reed, Ben (2013-10-30). Starting Small: The Ultimate Small Group Blueprint (p. 29). Rainer Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

Test Group

A small group of high capacity, influential leaders who meet for a predetermined time for the purpose of exploring a new idea to implement. Let's break down the definition even further.

Reed, Ben (2013-10-30). Starting Small: The Ultimate Small Group Blueprint (pp. 29-30). Rainer Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

Launching A Small Group

In this group, you're modeling what a healthy small group (according to your strategic mission and vision) looks like. The point isn't simply to cast an informational vision. It's to give people a picture of a healthy small group.

Reed, Ben (2013-10-30). Starting Small: The Ultimate Small Group Blueprint (p. 30). Rainer Publishing. Kindle Edition.  

High Capacity, Influential Leaders

Don't just recruit warm bodies. Recruit the people who are natural leaders. The people who, if they buy in to the idea of your small group, lots more will too. These people have natural leadership ability. They have followers. They may, or may not, be in significant leadership in your church. But you know they're leaders because wherever they go, others want to be around them.

Reed, Ben (2013-10-30). Starting Small: The Ultimate Small Group Blueprint (p. 30). Rainer Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

For A Predetermined Time

The test group shouldn't last forever. After all, the goal is to equip these folks and turn them loose. Don't keep them here in your holding tank forever. Making your way through one or two rounds of curriculum should be adequate . Or, if you choose to not use curriculum, a couple of months should be long enough. Just make sure you end at a time where it's strategic to launch new groups, so that those in your test group can step right into group leadership.

Reed, Ben (2013-10-30). Starting Small: The Ultimate Small Group Blueprint (p. 30). Rainer Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

Implement: Let Them Go! 

If you've got 4 couples in your group, then you should plan to launch four small groups. If you have five couples and a single person? Then launch six small groups. Use a 1: 1 ratio. Or use a 2: 1 ratio with co-leaders. Don't let these guys off the hook! They "get" the idea and strategy you're implementing better than anyone in the church. You need them to lead!

Reed, Ben (2013-10-30). Starting Small: The Ultimate Small Group Blueprint (p. 31). Rainer Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

Start Promotional Conversations

Start dropping hints. Begin telling people that you're going to start a new small group. And presume upon God's favor to do something huge in and through the group. Let them know that you'd be honored and excited for them to join once things get going. As you drop these hints, you also give them a chance to clear their schedules.

Reed, Ben (2013-10-30). Starting Small: The Ultimate Small Group Blueprint (p. 32). Rainer Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

Start Recruiting

Take the step beyond "hints." Recruit people to join, even before you launch. Get commitments from group members. Get commitments from a co-leader, too, someone who will help lead the group with you.

Reed, Ben (2013-10-30). Starting Small: The Ultimate Small Group Blueprint (p. 32). Rainer Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

Lead With Curriculum Choices

Pick out a handful of curriculum choices. Although you know a small group is much more than curriculum, potential group members want to know that there is some sort of plan and structure in place, that this group won't just be a dinner club, but will have a component of studying together involved.

Reed, Ben (2013-10-30). Starting Small: The Ultimate Small Group Blueprint (p. 32). Rainer Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

Starting

Plan a start date. In the United States, the most strategic times to launch a group tend to be in the months of August and January. August works because many public school systems start during this month, and our culture tends to think "new" and "start" then. We also tend to think about resolutions for the year beginning in month of January as our calendar turns over. There are other times a group could start, but these tend to be the most strategic.

Reed, Ben (2013-10-30). Starting Small: The Ultimate Small Group Blueprint (pp. 32-33). Rainer Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

Constantly Recruiting

It's hard to overemphasize the importance of recruiting leaders . Get the right people, and small groups can soar. Get the wrong ones and you taint small groups for every member joining those groups. You'll be fighting an uphill battle moving forward, trying to convince people that their next experience will be better than the last.

Reed, Ben (2013-10-30). Starting Small: The Ultimate Small Group Blueprint (p. 33). Rainer Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

Intentional Apprenticing

Intentional apprenticing. Intentional apprenticing is a great way to recruit and deploy leaders. The beautiful part is that apprentices will have on-the-job training for months, and even years, before they're turned loose…

If you want to speed it up a bit, do one of two things. First, increase the number of apprentices in each group. Second, decrease the incubation time if you are comfortable with apprentices starting sooner.

Reed, Ben (2013-10-30). Starting Small: The Ultimate Small Group Blueprint (p. 34). Rainer Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

Recruit With Existing Groups That Are Ending

Look to the end. Whenever a group is getting ready to end (our groups meet for 12-24 months), I sit down with the leader and ask for names of other potential leaders As people have done life together for a while, they've heard each other’s stories, they've invested in each other, they've seen who may be cut out to lead a group. I've explained to them (through trainings, emails, personal conversations, etc.) what it takes to lead a group, and because they've built those relationships, they feel more comfortable recommending people for leading a group.

Reed, Ben (2013-10-30). Starting Small: The Ultimate Small Group Blueprint (p. 35). Rainer Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

Recruiting Those Who “Can’t”

"There's not a group that works for me." Every time new groups start, I get this response. There's no group that meets during the 2.12 hours of free time they have in their life each week, that also meets in their neighborhood, and that is also studying what they want to study. All of the other groups meet too frequently. Or not frequently enough. And here's what I'll often say, "I'm so sorry. Would you like to start a new group? It can meet when and where you want it to meet.”

Reed, Ben (2013-10-30). Starting Small: The Ultimate Small Group Blueprint (p. 35). Rainer Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

New Groups For New People

In with the new. Start "new groups for new people." Launch a men's breakfast group. Start a "construction" group. Start a women's book club. Kick off a group that meets for Sunday lunch. Remember, if you've defined your win first, it's easier to step out and launch groups like this. Starting these new types of groups is a way to get new leaders. It stretches and challenges people who think that they didn't fit in your system.

Reed, Ben (2013-10-30). Starting Small: The Ultimate Small Group Blueprint (p. 36). Rainer Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

Team Staff Members

There is a requirement at our church that staff members be in a group. But honestly, many of our staff members lead their group. Church staffers have influence with others. They're recruiting leaders for their ministry, or teaching from stage, or leading worship. And if they're leading a group, there's a good chance that they can fill it up without your help, and it will be filled with people who are bought into the character and reputation of that staff member.

Reed, Ben (2013-10-30). Starting Small: The Ultimate Small Group Blueprint (p. 36). Rainer Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

Give Breaks

Give me a break. I give leaders the option (and make them feel no guilt or shame) to take a season off from leading a small group. Would I like for them to continue leading? Absolutely! Would it be easier on me if they continued leading! Absolutely! But in the long run, they'll end up frustrated and burned out because they've not ever had a break.

Reed, Ben (2013-10-30). Starting Small: The Ultimate Small Group Blueprint (p. 37). Rainer Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

Short Term Groups

Once, or twice, every year, start new short-term -focused small groups that lead out with studying the same thing. Most of the time, it makes sense to line up around a sermon series . Why does this ultra-focused, short-term small group experience help with recruiting leaders? First , it gives people a more manageable timetable for leading. It's a much easier sell, "You only have to lead for this group for four to six weeks.”

Reed, Ben (2013-10-30). Starting Small: The Ultimate Small Group Blueprint (p. 39). Rainer Publishing. Kindle Edition.