New Groups :: Sunday School Leaders

Jan

Basic Home Group Space Principles

By David Bond · Comments (0)

My family has relocated several times over the past fifteen years. While numerous tasks accompany this experience, one of the most important is finding a new home. Factors such as location, cost, proximity to school, work, and church, neighborhood, must all be considered. Deciding on the best home is the result of careful evaluation, establishing priorities, and wise management of resources.

What about finding a home for your small group family? For many churches, accelerated growth and limited space may require new groups to meet away from the church building. When churches seek to find off-campus locations for groups, many factors must also be considered.

The Purpose of the Group

For this post, assume the home group is an extension of the Sunday School and is designed to function as an open group. Assist the group members in identifying their target people group whether it is families in the neighborhood or already identified acquaintances from the social circles of group members. Some groups may not choose to meet in a home at all but rather a more neutral location such as a coffee shop in order to engage those who are completely unreached. Home groups should be able to clearly identify their people group.

The Environment of the Home

The host home should be warm and welcoming. While every host wants to be ready for guests, the message should be that real people still live in the house. No one wants to have a small group meeting in a museum. Furnishings, décor, and overall atmosphere should invite group participants to feel at home and in the company of others to whom they can relate. Space should be sufficient for a seating arrangement that allows group members to view each other’s faces. Other considerations such as ease of locating, access, and parking should also be kept in mind.

Participants in the Group

Who will attend the group meeting? Ten single people will arrive in a different number of vehicles than five married couples. If children will be present at the meeting, teenagers will require different space than preschoolers. If the group has children of all ages, the variety of space needs increases again. Access for disabled group members may also need to be considered.

Proximity to the Church

In some cases, groups may meet in a home while their children participate in a program at church. This solution may work, but travel time between the host home and church must be factored into the overall time allotted. Also, consider the strategy you will use to eventually connect small group members to worship and service in and through your church.

Elements of the Meeting

If a meal is a part of the meeting, preparation and serving space should be considered. If the Bible study content is video driven, quality picture and sound is a must. Should the group desire to break off into smaller groups for prayer/accountability, this also may need to be thought through.

Be thorough when selecting a home for your small group family.

Categories : 5 Weeks of Flake, Growing your Group, Mission, New Groups, Small Groups, Space and Facilities, Sunday School

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Jan

Lead your Group to Start a New Group

By Kiely Young · Comments (0)

“We have a great idea. Let’s encourage ALL of our classes/small group Bible studies to birth a new group with their group.” I shared that idea with one class one day and I was told immediately that I could leave room. They wanted no part of this plan.

New groups do not just happen because we think they should happen. This must be built into the DNA of each new group from the beginning. They must know that the optimum maximum size for a small group is not more than twenty five. When a class or group gets larger, it loses the small group dynamic.

So just how is this done. We must develop disciples within the group to make this happen. We have found a structure of five leaders can best begin a new group: Teacher, Evangelism Leader, Administrative Leader, Ministry Leader, and Service Leader. These leaders seek out those individuals within their group who can best fit their same position as their group grows. They will be seeking to reach their friends and those who are attracted to this group. As the group begins to reach the optimum size of twenty to twenty five, they need to intensify their work of discipling and equipping prospective leaders for the new group. The whole class must be in prayer about this opportunity. This does not “divide” or “split” the class. Rather, you have the joy of birthing a new class with whom you will continue to have fellowship, ministry, and sharing together. You may or not meet at the same time or even the same location. But, you will share mutual vision, purpose, and passion for reaching and nurturing believers in Christ. You may even work together to start more new classes from within both groups.

All new leaders must be prayerfully and carefully enlisted, equipped and encouraged in their new responsibilities. They must never be left alone to fend for themselves. That could result in failure in their minds. Rather, we must continue to encourage them and work with them to see them reach their friends as they were reached by their class. This really can be contagious!.
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Kiely Young
Mississippi Baptist Convention Board

Categories : 5 Weeks of Flake, Growing your Group, New Groups, Small Groups, Sunday School

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Jan

How to Keep a New Group Growing

By Kiely Young · Comments (0)

This week I sat in a meeting talking to a Pastor and Minister of Education whose church has regularly started new groups over the past several years. They have done so in an environment of declining population in the heart of the Mississippi Delta region. Their church has experienced steady growth. I asked them to explain how they have done this and how they have help keep these groups growing.

They quickly responded. “We have not seen success with ALL the groups. It depends on the leadership team we have enlisted and their passion for the group we are trying to reach. Those with passion to reach those in need grow spiritually and numerically. Those who are just enlisted and equipped to teach a class do not always put their hearts into the work of the class.”

Those statements say a lot. When we begin new groups we must ask some key questions if we want success in meeting the needs of the group we are trying to reach.

Who are we trying to reach?
Why are we trying to reach that group?
When are we trying to reach them?
Where are we trying to reach them?
What do we plan to do for them when we reach them?
How will we measure success in reaching and ministering to them?
Do we have a plan for nurturing them to multiply and reach others through another new group?

Far too often, we just enlist a teacher, give them a list of “suspects” and expect that person to do all the work. That class will often be doomed to fail because of lack of purpose and organization.

But, if those enlisted, understand their roles, the purpose of the class, and they have a passion to reach the people they are trying to reach, they are far more likely to succeed. They must add prayer, hard work, determination, patience, and persistence to their efforts. As my friend Daniel Edmonds, from Alabama states, “Start small, do it right, build it strong”. Another pastor friend was asked by a dear senior adult lady how long they were going to continue to use this strategy of starting new groups to reach more people. He quickly responded, “Until Jesus comes, that was His Commission to us.” Let’s keep up the strong work of growing new classes and small groups.
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Kiely Young
Mississippi Baptist Convention Board

Categories : 5 Weeks of Flake, Growing your Group, New Groups, Small Groups, Sunday School

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Jan

Enlarge the Organization

By Bob Mayfield · Comments (0)

Quick! What is one thing that virtually any church, any where, of any size, large budget or small, can do that will reach new people with the Gospel and make more disciples?

The third principle in Flake’s Formula is “Enlarge the Organization”. Okay, you’ve been waiting for this, right? It is absolutely imperative for church’s to start new groups. There it is… it’s out there! Start a new group.

Of the five principles of Flake’s Formula, this principle may be the least applied of them all. Let’s face it: most of our classes and small groups are focused on themselves and branching out to start a new group is not in our DNA. One of the best things that a group can do to enlarge the Kingdom is something that many groups are firmly against!

I was visiting recently with an education minister of a large and fast-growing church and asked him about their growth. He response was that although they were experiencing a lot of growth, the groups that had been together the longest were not growing. Virtually all of their new growth was coming from new groups the church had started in the past year.

Know the Rule of 10
The “Rule of 10″ simply means that for every new group your church starts, attendance will grow by 10 people. So if you want your church to grow in attendance by 50 people this year… that’s five new groups.

Churches are becoming more creative and experimenting with new ways to start new groups. This week you will learn a couple of new ways that churches are starting new groups. Steve Gladen of Saddleback Church has a very aggressive and creative plan to starting new groups that you may need to consider. His post will be up Wednesday the 18th.

How is your church doing? Are you making new disciples? The proven strategy for reaching new people and making new disciples is starting new groups. Join us for a great time together this week.

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Bob Mayfield is the Sunday School/Small Groups specialist at the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. He also serves First Baptist Church of Moore as Interim Education Minister. Bob blogs at www.bobmayfield.com

Categories : 5 Weeks of Flake, Growing your Group, New Groups

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Jan

The Impact of One Leader

By Belinda Jolley · Comments (0)

My grandson has always been amazed by heavy farm machinery. Garrett has had many toy tractors and knows the names of all the farm machinery. As a first grader he now wants to ride with his dad or grandfather on the big tractors. However, he also understands these large machines can be dangerous, as well as helpful.

A bulldozer, for example, may be used to clear out an area on which to build a home—or maybe a barn. The same machine can be used to tear down something—maybe a building that is no longer safe to dwell in or that has been severely damaged by fire or storms. The same piece of powerful machinery can either build up or tear down.

I’m convinced Sunday School leaders hold the same influence—either positively or negatively. One Sunday School leader can have tremendous impact or influence. Whether you are talking about the entire organization or one Sunday School class or group, the truth applies to both.

Imagine Sunday School teachers who are so fearful that “they will split my class” that they deliberately undermine any efforts to start new classes. Their tactics may be open and bold or they may be subtle. The subtle may be more dangerous because people may not see what is happening. You know what I mean. “I just can’t imagine not having any of you in my class any more. I just love our sweet fellowship. “

On the other hand, imagine Sunday School teachers that know starting new classes are effective in the church’s mission to make and grow disciples. These teachers are constantly planting seeds that promote starting new classes. They constantly make note of peoples’ gifts or abilities and may encourage them in ways such as, “I’ve noticed how well you relate to our preschoolers when we have class fellowships. Have you ever prayed about how God might use you in a ministry with preschoolers?” These teachers will love everyone, but they keep forging toward the mission. These teachers will tell stories of changed lives and remind classes they would not have met or heard these stories without the folks who once came into their class as newcomers. These teachers celebrate growing and sending out leaders. They probably have photos on the wall of the “class missionaries” who are serving in other age groups on Sunday morning—people for whom they pray often.

The choice is yours. Will you lead in a way that builds up people and, most importantly, builds up the church? Will you keep your eyes on the mission and help others do the same? Or will you choose to lead in ways that tear down people and/or tear down God’s church? Again, the choice is yours. I pray you lead out of a heart that yearns for people to know Christ as their personal Lord and Savior and then come to grow in their lifelong journey of becoming more like Christ.

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Belinda Jolley serves as the Director of the Adult Ministry Office of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Belinda and her husband, Steve, enjoy starting new classes at First Baptist Church in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Categories : 5 Weeks of Flake, Flake's Formula, Growing your Group, Leadership, New Groups, Sunday School

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