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10 Ways to Sustain New Small Groups After 40 Days of Purpose
Strengthen your small groups after the launch.
by Brett Eastman
Your church has been on a spiritual roll with the 40 Days of Purpose campaign. Everyone's excited, but you're actually worried. What will happen to these new small groups once 40 Days is over? No need to fret. With these 10 tips, you can sustain and strengthen your small groups from Day 41 onward.
1. Ask your leaders, "What's next?"
Via phone or email, contact your small group leaders and ask for the "Four P's" of feedback:
Praise: Ask them to share stories of how God worked through the study to change lives. When they relive that excitement, they will become energized about leading another small group.
Problem: What (if any) problems did they encounter? Whatever the concern—curriculum choice, difficult person, or group dynamic—give them an opportunity to voice their thoughts.
Plans: What is your group doing next? If they don't already have a plan, share what other groups are doing and discuss what would best fit their group.
Prayer: Any prayer requests? Whatever their response, you should pray for that need as soon as you receive it. Follow up with an e-mail in which you write out a prayer for them.
2. Schedule leaders celebration.
Gather the new and existing leaders for a time of honor, strategy, praise, and vision. You and other key staff should be there. This is a time to thank the leaders, hear their stories, and celebrate what God's been doing. One great way is by sharing "insider news" regarding the next sermon series or some of the next steps the church is taking. When this news is shared by the senior pastor or small groups pastor it brings leaders into the fold and makes them feel included.
3. Prayerfully identify a new small group champion.
After overseeing the 40 Days campaign, undoubtedly the director or champion will need a break. Recruit and develop a new leader to ensure you sustain the energy and motivation that your small group ministry garnered during the campaign.
Look for someone who:
• is loyal to the senior pastor
• is part of the small groups community
• has the gift and experience of leadership
• has character that is above reproach
• has a growing and deepening relationship with God
Ask God to reveal the right leaders to you. When you do find the right individuals, and they agree to help you build a bridge from 40 Days to the future, send your other champion on vacation so they'll return ready to lead again.
4. Plan your work, and work your plan.
From the feedback you've gathered, come up with a six-week to six-month tentative calendar. Ask, "Lord, where do you want us to go next?" Make sure you take holidays into consideration. Unless you think those through, they have the potential to break up 50 percent of your groups. Consider shorter curriculum during holiday times or preaching on 40 Days of Purpose-related themes to keep people connected with and enthused about small groups.
5. Preview, select, and promote your new small group series.
A six-week study gives people only a taste of the five biblical purposes. Transformation takes time. So start previewing curriculum that will do just that.
Once you've selected your new curriculum, you've got to promote it. If you choose a curriculum from Purpose Driven, resources are available to help, including order forms you can make available at church.
6. Access important resources and tools.
Many great tools are available online. Check out the small group ministry website for Purpose Driven Ministry, where you will find a whole selection of purpose-driven small group tools. Also, take a look at www.zoomerang.com, a low-cost web-based survey resource that will allow you to create your own surveys and send them by e-mail to your small groups.
Smallgroups.com and Christianity Today have websites with practical ideas and stories for small group leaders and champions.
7. Offer end-of-year leader/host training.
Rally your leaders for a time of fun, fellowship, and small-group vision—and make sure your pastoral leadership is present. To ramp up the excitement, have a cookie exchange or a White Elephant party.
8. Leverage the weekend services.
The weekend service is the church's greatest communication tool. This is a great time to share with the congregation what God is doing in your small groups. One small group champion regularly met with his senior pastor to share small group stories. The pastor would then use these stories in sermons to generate interest in small groups. (To get stories from an even wider circle, solicit stories in your bulletin or newsletter.)
9. Identify, train, and develop a coaching staff.
Use the same five characteristics of small group champions to identify coaches. A great place to look is at the people already doing the job—without the title. Go after people who have hosted before, had a positive 40 Days experience, and have proven gifts of leadership.
One technique for finding coaches is a "leadership connection." In real time, gather all your leaders together and ask them to nominate a coach who could shepherd the rest. Then you can ask that coach who he or she thinks would be a great future coach. In essence, the team chooses the coach for the team. Many people who receive this nomination feel honored, making it more difficult for them to say no.
10. Attend a Purpose Driven small group conference.
Purpose Driven offers regional leadership conferences around the country. We will also launch a national conference soon. The conference is geared toward senior pastors, small group pastors, and champions to help you put some processes in place. You'll come away with a plan for how you are going to implement Purpose Driven small groups in your church.
Brett Eastman is founder and president of Lifetogether Ministries.
Reprinted from Rick Warren's Ministry ToolBox, a free weekly e-newsletter from Pastors.com. Copyright © 2005 Lifetogether. All rights reserved.
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