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Gene Therapy for Small Groups

When I was called to take over the small groups ministry at Bay Area Fellowship, the church had 15 small groups. In the first week, I did something radical: I shut down half of them because they were unhealthy.

But in the past three-and-a-half years, the number of groups has grown dramatically to 177.

How did this happen? We dug down deep to adjust the very nature of the groups: their DNA.

Make a Better First Impression

The first time you get together with leaders will be the most important meeting with them. You must cast the vision for what the role of leader is and isn't, and the responsibilities that come with it.

If you don't do this, each leader will do whatever he wants to do. When that happens, you may have a ministry that is heading in different directions, and that isn't healthy.

Have every leader sign a covenant agreeing to follow the church leadership. A covenant protects everyone involved, but especially the church.

It must give the church the right to remove any leader who is not ...

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