Video Transcript: Launching Small Groups

Now we've talked about small groups as being reflecting the entire church. But I  also want to mention some of the literature about small groups. And typically,  when you read books about small group, it's really about the small group that  gives spiritual care and nurture. But the principles in starting up these small  groups really apply to every small group you set up. According to Ben Reed in  starting small, the ultimate of small group blueprint, he talks about launching  small groups, and we're gonna go through some of his literature just for your  knowledge and encouragement. And again, you can apply this to many, many  approaches many things within your group, but his book specifically is talking  about, like small care groups or life groups. So I'm gonna give you his  methodology just so you have a resource. Again, there's lots of resources, in  ebooks and on the web, of free resources to get more insights, but I'll use Ben  Reed's book as sort of our jumping our launching point, so to speak, about  setting up small groups. So he says, launch a test group, everyone wants to be  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. And you can take that same approach for  even a small group, whether it's a care group, or any group, where you say, you  know, let's meet, let's just test out talking about financial issues. Now, again, it's  not setting up a permanent group yet. It's just a test group. And this way, after  the expiration of the test group, you can sort of see who's on that group and  who's not on that group. Testing and church planting go well together. On the  creative side test groups, help an organization know what works and what  doesn't, or in this case, who works who doesn't work. They allow an organization to try new things and new ways with new people without the cost of the full  product launch. launching a new line of products drains a lot of resources. And  it's incredibly risky. test groups minimize the risk by help determine in advance  what will work and what will fail. Now you can take this approach and apply it to  the entire small group system, or you can specifically do it in like a care group.  And here's how you do it in the care group, you can say, Okay, we're going to  meet in a small group to talk about this topic, and then the topic ends. And then  you see what the connections are. If that can be a small group that's permanent  or long term. What does a test group look like? 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 farther.  In this group, you're modeling what a healthy small group according to your  strategic mission and vision looks like? The point is to simply cast an  informational vision, it gives people a picture of a healthy small group. Okay, so  let's say you're going to launch an entire small group program in your church. So you recruit leaders that you think are going to be the small group leaders. So  you do a test group that simulates what their groups are going to look like. So in  a sense, here's a test group that you talk about the dynamics of small group 

ministry. Now before you launch a program, you're in this context. Now, if  someone doesn't work well in that test group, you will know that they might not  be a small group leader. So you can even say, hey, come for a test group. Take  a test drive of being a small group leader in a term, small group that's going to  talk about leading small groups within the church. So it's launching a test group,  small group. Now in starting a church, in starting small groups, you're looking for those high capacity, influential leaders. Don't just recruit WARM BODIES, recruit the people who are natural leaders, people who if they buy in the idea of your  small group, lots more will too. These people have natural leadership abilities.  They have followers, they may or may not be a significant leadership in your  church. But you know, they're leaders because wherever they go, others want to be around them. So if you start a small group program, and again, I apply this to any program, sort of do testing small groups here and there, which really helps  you know whether or not they're going to work. A predetermined time, the test  groups shouldn't last forever Ben Reed writes. 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 not to use curriculum, a couple of months should be  long enough, make sure you end at a time where it's strategic to launch new  groups, so that your test group can step right into group leadership. Now, again,  I say this can be done with any groups you make within a church. But let's apply  this to where Ben is applying it. That's care groups. So you have let's say, you're gonna launch a small group, ministry in the fall or after you start the church,  you're going to launch a small group ministry, first have a test group, let's say  the test group meets for May, throughout the summer. Now, the goal of this is to  launch right into the small groups where this test group become the leaders of  small groups. So it's a predetermined time, implement, let them go. If you got,  let's say, four couples in your group, that you should plan to launch four small  groups. If you have five couples, and a single person, then launch six groups  use a one to one ratio, use a two to one 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. So as this group formed that  luanch group, really let them know they're the epic leaders, they're the the  operatives that are going to really make care throughout the church. But the  same can be applied for other groups as well, wherever you're going to launch  something, First, launch it with a little test, organization group. That may  conclude and people may not want to be in the full blown Ministry of whatever  you implement. Start promotional conversations, start dropping hints, begin  telling people that you're going to start new, a new small group, and presume  upon God's favor to do something huge in it and through the group, let them  know that you're you're honored and excited for them to join once things get  started. And you drop these hints, you will give them a chance to clear their 

schedule. Again, this is just all promotion, just start planting seeds planting  seeds of something, even when there's a test group going on, you can start  planting seeds that new groups are going to be forming. start recruiting, take the steps 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. So after the test group, then  people are starting to get out there and they're starting to recruit who their  groups are going to be. Now, I like the concept of recruiting. So after the test  group, go back to starting a small group movement in your church. So every test group of the leaders, okay, so now the leaders are finishing that test group. And  now at some point you say to them, Hey, start a small group and get them going  on word of mouth, get them going on recruiting. One of the things I call death by  bulletin a lot of churches or small groups have start by they'll put, if you're  interested in this, here's in the bulletin, call this number. That's fine. But if you  really want something to go get the leaders out there recruiting and even  recruiting from people that may not be going to their church right now. 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 wants to  know that there's some sort of plan and structure in place, that this group won't  just be a dinner club, but they'll have a components of studying together and  eon that that would be something against start that in the test group. But it but  when you start launching it with in recruiting of leaders where these test group  leaders get out, make sure they have a plan, what are they going to be talking  about, there's a goal in mind so when they talk word of mouth and recruit people know when it's going to be going on. Starting to plan a start date in the United  States most strategic times to launch a group tend to be in the month of August  and January, August works because many public school systems start during  this month. And our curriculum tends to think of new and start then we also tend  to think about resolutions for the new year beginning of the month of January. As our calendar year turns over there. There are other times a group could start,  but these tend to be the most strategic thus specifically in care groups and life  groups. This is so true. But in any task group or any small group. Throughout the church, you can do a test group anytime the test group could just be you and the other person that could be the group of two of the pastor, the church planter and another person where you're testing out something or it could be three people It  this could be something like the Finance Committee and Friends Committee, for  instance, you get three or four people, you do a little test group, maybe the test  group is an audit, hey, we're gonna do an audit of our church, will you join that,  see how that group goes, the group ends. If the group goes very well, you might  want to talk about someone who might want to do more long term connections  with the financials of the church because you can see they're tested and who  they are remember to have constant recruitment going on. You're constantly 

recruiting. It's hard to offer over emphasize the importance of recruiting leaders.  Get the right people. 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. So remember to constantly as a church planter. Always  be thinking about recruiting, whether it's the task small groups of your church,  whether it's the standing small groups and what you formerly recall church  committees, whether it is small group life groups, constantly be recruiting,  intentional apprenticing. This is kind of a way of to create leaders out of that your small groups movement, intentional apprentices, apprenticing is a great way to  recruit and deploy leaders. The beautiful part is that apprentices will have the on the job training for months, even years before they are turned loose. If you want  to speed it up a bit, do one or two things First, increase the number of  apprentices in each group. And second, decrease the incubation time. If you're  comfortable with apprentices starting sooner, so in life groups you have a leader in Teach them to always be looking for new leaders. Now let's talk about elders.  Elders are a small group. Think of it that way too. You know, it's even possible to have your elder group and then identifying someone who you believe could be  an elder. So what you do is you say, Okay, Bob, would you come to our elders  meeting, you have a few gifts that we think could potentially be connecting to  elder leadership. But before we go through this whole process of appointing, we  want you to come to some meetings and interact, and we want you to see what  it is, and answer any questions. Maybe we want you to take a Christian Leader  Institute the Getting Started class or other resources for elder training. Notice  what you're doing is you're you're taking a proactivity to the small group of your  elders. So always think whatever group had said about the intentional  apprenticing, recruit with existing groups that are ending, look to the end,  whenever a group is getting ready to end, our group meets for 12 to 24 months,  this author says, I sit down with the leader and ask the names of other potential  leaders, as people have done, have done life together for a while they've heard  each other's stories they've invested in the group, I explained to them, through  training, emails, personal conversations, what it takes to lead a group, because  they built those relationships, they feel more comfortable recommending people  for leading the group. And again, this applies to every small group  understanding of the church in general, you're working with your leaders the  dynamics of small groups, apply to the complete development of new church  planting, 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 two and a half hours of free time they have in their life each week. That also  meets in their neighborhood, that also study what they want to study. All the  other groups meet too frequently, or not frequently enough. Here's what I often  say, I'm sorry, would you like to start a new group? It can meet when and where 

you want it to meet a lot of times as a church planter, you're gonna see that you  offer things that people have excuses. A lot of times I will find out what their gift  is, and say, Okay, well, do you want to do that? And when can you do it? And it  

might be a life group. Or it might be something else? It might be something  simple, like you know what? I really love art. Oh, you do? Can you start a little  art small group at our church, where where people can talk about putting  pictures up and banners and stuff like that. A lot of times that person who says  no to everything, if you find where their passion is, they'll start a small group. It  might not be a life group, but they'll start a small group. Many times life groups  can be started this way when you know someone has that pastoral gifts, and  they're really ripe and ready to lead a group, and they gotta lead a group, I often  find that people that are in groups that get sort of grumpy, they might be ready to lead a group, but nobody has really helped them become a leader yet. New  groups for new people in with the new start new groups, 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  group types of groups and a way to get new leaders it stretches and challenges  people who think they just don't fit in your system. This one I was talking about  before, is if people don't get into the life group things fine. There's many groups  that they can get into and help them find their place. Team staff members,  there's a requirement at our church that staff members be in a group. Now this is that life group, that pastoral care 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. If they're  leading a group, that's good, there's a good chance that they will fill, they can fill  it up without your help. And it will be filled with people who are who are bought  into the who have bought into the character reputation of that staff member. So  what they're saying here, what Ben Reed is saying is, hey, look, what your  interest is, everybody is on board for not just being in group, but possibly  starting to group especially if they're staff members give breaks. I give leaders  the option and make them no guilt or shame about this option to take a season  off from leading a small group. Would I like it for them to get continued leading.  Absolutely. Would it be easier on me if they continued leading Absolutely. But in  the long run, they end up frustrated and burned out because they never had a  break. You know, I can't stress this enough. When you're planting a church, give  breaks. You know, a lot of times when you have a leader, small group, an elder  small group, these elders stay on permanently, you know what happens if they  stay on too permanently? They get grumpy, they start getting critical. They think  that they they own things too much. And then they start looking at you as a  leader. So even in those small groups, give people a break from that leadership. Or if they're leading a small group, give them a break, they may still want to be 

in a small group and you want to encourage that. But that responsibility of  leadership is something that you need a break from every now and then a  sabbatical so to speak. Short term groups once or twice or every year, start a  new short term focus small group that leads out with studying the same thing.  Most of the time, it makes sense to line up if this with sermon series. Why does  this ultra focus short term small group experience help with recruiting leaders  first, it gives people a more manageable timetable for leading. It is much easier  to sell. You only have to lead this group for four to six weeks. This is again, a  short term definition of the Life Group ministries. Okay, and and Bob Reed, or  Ben Reed puts us in place. Now here's the thing about that this is a great idea. If it's possible, this these forms little test groups. And you're you're wanting these  little test groups to form because you can identify new leaders. So short term  groups are very good connected around a sermon series and you can sort of  develop small group leaders. As you develop small groups just always be  thinking of creating stages recruiting, sometimes they're short term. You do a  little testing here. In general, you want people to be testing. So these testing  groups are really important. Apply it to every part of the church as you develop  the small groups. And what you'll find is you'll eventually over time, develop  competence, high quality leaders, to work with you in the trenches to proclaim  Christ to your community.