Category Archives: Small Groups

Small Group Leaders: Members of an Exclusive Club

by on in Small Groups.

So your ministry is growing.
And you need more Small Group Leaders.
Badly.

We’ve all been in that spot. Some of you are there now. Things are growing in your student ministry. Good things are happening and students want to be a part of your programs. However, you just need more volunteers! You feel stretched thin, you’re asking current volunteers to do multiple jobs. You need help!

The temptation in these seasons is to just get folks plugged in to fill the needs. There is a knee-jerk reaction, in those times, to accept anyone and everyone who applies to serve in your ministry. Well, in those moments, here are a few things to remember…

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Small Groups are Terrifying

by on in Small Groups.

I believe in creating a ministry culture of small groups and Small Group Leaders. I think it’s the answer. I believe small groups are the answer because I believe the Gospel is the answer. And I believe small groups are the best way to bury that gospel deep in the hearts of students.

But creating a groups culture is really hard. It requires you to find great leaders who can gain influence with kids, because the stuff they’ll need to dig and work through can only be done in the context of trust, influence, accountability, and community. It’s hard, but it’s worth it.

Do you want to build a ministry that values small groups?
Then you should be terrified.

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How Small Groups Create Momentum

by on in Small Groups, Strategy.

As an old science teacher I couldn’t help myself but to talk about momentum in today’s post.

In the classroom, momentum is the principle that an object that is moving “wants” to keep moving in the same way. The bigger it is, and the faster it is, the more it “wants” to keep moving in that direction.

The other day I was doing a little writing and trying to uncover some of the “unstated” beliefs I have about our small group systems at North Point. It is working pretty well and I wanted to figure out why. (Actually, that would be a good post for another time: because we rarely take time to figure out why things work, we have no idea how to fix them when they stop working.)

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Electrifying the Experience

by on in Experience, Small Groups.

Middle schoolers are excited, full of energy, creative, and loud! That’s why we love ’em, right? That’s who they are and how they are wired. So are your environments and programs electrifying the experience for them?

For me, I think they should… I think they need to. If we are going to reach this generation, then we should be creating environments where students want to be and where they want to bring their friends. We have the honor to think through the details and be creative in order to make it happen. Because focusing on details and creativity can lead to an electrifying experience.

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Hooks and Anchors

by on in Leadership, Small Groups, Strategy.

A few years ago, one of my good friends and co-workers announced that he was leaving his job as a Middle School Director. If you’ve seen this go down before, you’ll probably be surprised by my next statement.

When he announced he was leaving, it was no big deal to the volunteers he announced it to! 

For my friend, it probably would have been good for the ol’ ego if there had been weeping and gnashing of teeth, but, you know what?

His volunteers’ response (or lack thereof) is actually an indicator that he did a great job!

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