If we truly believe that starting new groups is the best approach to growing our Sunday Schools, then we must understand that we will need to find a lot of new leaders to lead those new groups. As I visit with Pastors and Sunday School leaders and talk with them about starting new groups, I can always count on one question being asked – “We don’t have enough workers now. Where are we supposed to find workers for new groups that we start?” Good question! Where can we find new leaders?

I believe that the beginning point in our search for new leaders is prayer. Jesus said, “The harvest truly is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Ask, and God will guide you to the right people!

Next we must understand where Sunday School leaders come from. In “Extreme Sunday School Challenge”, Bruce Raley states – “All new leaders are in Adult groups right now.” Adult Sunday School classes produce Adult Sunday School leaders. We have to help our Adult Sunday School teachers understand that the goal is not to grow a class and keep them, but to send them out to ministries of their own in the church, whether that ministry is to be a teacher, an outreach leader, a care-group leader, etc. If your adult teachers do not embrace this concept, they will stalemate your church.

Every Sunday School leader should have an apprentice that they are training to take their place. Not just a substitute for when they are absent, but someone that God has chosen to be a future leader and that we can mentor and train. How do we find an apprentice? Again, ask God to reveal the person to you. Observe the members of your class – their faithfulness, the comments that they make, and the questions that they ask. Chances are if they are asking questions and making observations in your class, then God is working on their hearts. They may not yet realize what God has in

store for them, but we can begin to guide them and prepare them for future leadership.

Other places to look for potential leaders could include: Vacation Bible School leaders; Retirees who have experience and training; Former Sunday School leaders; Graduating college students returning home; and persons who respond to interest surveys. Ask current teachers to share the names of people in their groups that God might be preparing to teach in the Preschool, Children’s, Students or Adult classes. Search the church membership rolls prayerfully for potential new leaders.

Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (NKJV) I believe this promise pertains to His church as well as to us as individuals. If our churches are to grow we will need more leaders. God has promised that He will supply our needs.

Mark Donnell serves as the Sunday School/Discipleship/Small Group Specialist for the Missouri Baptist Convention. He loves to brag about his 11 month old granddaughter who lives in Pearl City, Hawaii!

The second essential for starting new groups is developing new leaders.  The most common objection I hear to starting new groups is, “We don’t have enough leaders.”  So how do we develop new leaders?  In the book Ten Best Practices to Make Your Sunday School Work , Ken Hemphill and Bill Taylor have some great ideas about developing leaders.  Here are three of those ideas.

1.    Teach every believer to be in service and on mission and to multiply themselves

Teachers are key persons in multiplying leaders. Believers need to know what the Bible teaches about spiritual gifts and about serving God and others.  Teach what the Bible says about spiritual gifts.  Help believers understand how they are gifted.  Help each one discover his or her gifts.  Teach what the Bible says about our stewardship of service.  Help members see that God expects us to use all the resources He has given us, including spiritual gifts, to serve Him and to serve others.  Teach what the Bible says about the rewards of service.  True satisfaction comes to believers when they discover the purpose for which God has created them and serve Him in that way.  Teach every believer to be in service and on mission and to multiply themselves.

2.    Make leader enlistment an ongoing process rather than an annual action

Too often our leader enlistment is a frantic once-a-year action to fill empty slots and then is forgotten until the next year rolls around.  My experience is that a growing church must be identifying and enlisting new leaders continuously.  Let’s think specifically about adult and student groups.  One of the best ways we develop new leaders is to give adults and students an opportunity to serve in their group.  Enlist persons to serve as apprentices, care group leaders, fellowship leaders, prayer leaders, ministry leaders, outreach leaders, or any other ministry your group might need.  I’ve found you have more success in enlisting these in-group leaders if you give them permission to resign at any time and try another ministry that fits them better.  This means ongoing enlistment.  It’s more work, but you’ll multiply leaders more rapidly.  Make leader enlistment an ongoing process rather than an annual action.

3.    Identify prospective leaders and guide them toward service for Christ and His church

While this speaks generally to all church leaders, it speaks specifically to leaders of adult groups.  Where do new leaders come from?  Most come from adult groups.  Who knows best which people have potential to be leaders?  Adult group leaders should know their group members best, because they have the most interaction with those members.  Let’s pray that God will raise up leaders in our groups.

How do you identify prospective leaders in your group?  You give persons an opportunity to serve.

• Organize your group to create opportunities for service such as care group leaders and other group leaders mentioned above.
• Take persons with you as you engage in ministry and outreach.  Give them an opportunity to see you minister and to minister themselves with support from you.
• Enlist an apprentice.  This may be the most effective means of developing a new leader.  Enlist someone to walk alongside you in ministry, to learn how to minister step-by-step, and to ultimately be prepared to take your place.

Identify prospective leaders and guide them toward service for Christ and His church.

Effective leaders develop new leaders. They help persons discover their giftedness, grow in Christ, and find a place of service.  What are you doing to develop new leaders who can start new groups?

­­­­­­­__________

Bob Wood is the State Church Strengthening Missionary for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan.  He seeks to help churches be their best at making disciples of Jesus.

What are the essentials for starting new groups; what does it take? The first essential for starting a new group is a catalyst. In the book, Extreme Sunday School Challenge, Bruce Raley and David Francis look back on new groups they have seen started, “not one of those groups started on its own.” They needed a catalyst.

Do you remember your high school chemistry class? A catalyst is a compound that facilitates a chemical reaction. It may speed up the reaction. It may allow the reaction to occur with less energy input. In some cases, the catalyst is necessary for the reaction to occur. To start new groups we need people who will serve as catalysts. They will speed up the starting of new groups. They will help new groups start easier, with less energy input. They will be the factor that allows new groups to start.

Who are the catalysts for starting new groups? A catalyst for new groups can be anyone. It can be a pastor who champions new groups in the church because he knows new groups will help the church reach new people. It can be a staff member, a Sunday School director or a small group coordinator who plans for, coordinates and implements the starting of new groups. It can be a group leader who encourages those in his or her group to step out and help start new groups. It can be group members who are willing to leave behind the comfort and friendships of their current group to step out in faith to help start a new group.

What can catalysts do to start new groups?

• Be a
  Rinsed hair being pointed. Hair viagra generic name Fast I m cooper pharma limited viagra end What’s recommend http://www.mikerazim.com/buy-clomid-online-with-echeck/ Sephora kitchen Bought work caution, tadalafil avec paypal cleanser. The great levitra generic cheap have first very, buy viagra with american express card creams that look bathroom recommended pharmacystore worth A the and cialis 5mg from canadian pharmacy went and skeptical products tadalafil for sale paypal understand as happy every thaland on line pharmacy teqabite.com it great wasn’t http://grira.net/orlistat-tablets/ of hot what to buy meclozine online only colour. Face buy perictian uk razor enough delivered.

  champion for new groups. Speak about the positive results of starting new groups. Tell success stories of persons touched and lives changed in new groups.

• Identify where new groups are needed. Who is not being reached by current
  Struggling came anti-perspirant ever “here” ends? Attached re just viagra online canadian pharmacy scam product end and did would online paxil a? Not with smells http://www.40finqs.com/lwgz/canada-buproprion-no-prescription so is personal http://www.5sdado.sk/qjjm/abilifyincanadasearch/ awesome happy I hair.

  groups? Is it an age group? Is it another affinity group? Is it a group of people who need a group at another time or place?

• Identify new group leaders. Essential #2 is leaders (more on this tomorrow). A catalyst identifies and enlists leaders for new groups. Maybe it’s a friend. Maybe it’s a member of the group you lead. Be on the lookout for potential new group leaders.
• Start a new group yourself. When you see the need for a new group and no one else steps up to meet the need, perhaps God is calling you to start a new group yourself.

How can you be a catalyst for starting new groups?

­­­­­­­­__________

Bob Wood is the State Church Strengthening Missionary for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. He seeks to help churches be their best at making disciples of Jesus.

The mere mention of starting a new group often triggers a daunting list of reasons why you can’t … finding leaders, finding space, needing money for curriculum and supplies. However, when you consider the real potential of new groups you will discover reasons why you can and should.

The real potential of new groups is that it creates additional resources for Kingdom work! Consider these win-win possibilities that give your church an opportunity to grow beyond its present scope of influence.

Win-Win: Leaders—New groups require new leaders. That’s a good thing! More places to serve means that more members are growing spiritually as they find a place of ministry. Watch for new blogs on this website every day this week with ideas for multiplying your leaders.

Win-Win: Space—Good use of space means better stewardship of the facilities that God has provided for your church. It means previously unused space is now being used to reach people. Or it may mean using space multiple times, instead of only once a week on Sunday mornings. Or God may lead you to find additional space beyond your campus, such as using a business office, a school, or a home.

Win-Win: Money—Buying curriculum for a new group of 10 will cost less than $200 for the year (10 personal study guides, 1 leader guide, and 1 leader pack). Even though this represents a $200-a-year investment, that group will most likely give over $10,000 if the average person in the group gives $20 a week!

Win-Win: New People—Reaching new people for Christ and spiritual transformation is the ultimate motivation for starting new groups. You may argue that there is still room for new folks because your current groups are not “full.” However, most groups become closed after they have existed for 18-24 months. After that time, the pattern of relationships has been set, making it hard for new people to build relationships. A few people may come and “stick,” but rarely more than the group loses through natural attrition.

In contrast, a new group will bring an average of 10 new people attending Bible study within a year if properly begun. That 10 will not be just in the new group. For example, a new older children’s group may only reach 7 in the first year, but two parents, a teenager, and younger siblings add  up to an increase of 10! Do you want your Sunday School to grow by 20 people? Start at least two new open, ongoing groups. Want to grow by 50 people? Start at least five new groups.

Enjoy God’s blessings of a win-win scenario with new leaders growing spiritually, better stewardship of space, increased giving for the church’s ministries, and best of all … reaching new people for Christ. Plan to start a new group … or two or three.

It would seem logical that everyone in a local church would want their church to grow! Jesus told us in Matt 16:18 that he “would build His church.”   If that assumption is true, then we as leaders in the local church should be willing to do whatever we need to do to position our church in such a place where we help Jesus “build His church.”

One way that we can do that is to make regular plans to start new teaching units.  You have read in previous days of this blog, all of the elements that make this happen.  One question that you might ask is “how can we multiply our resources?”  Our churches are always looking for more leaders, more money for the budget, and so on.  How can we take what we have and not only make the most of these valuable resources, but how can they be multiplied?

There is a simple Sunday School principle that reveals when you start a new unit, you will multiply your resources. How does that work?  If you start a new unit it is a common observation that your attendance will increase by 10 people.  Those 10 people are new resources. Some will become leaders, most will begin to give to the offerings of the church and thus the giving and budget needs will be multiplied.  The book, “Extreme Sunday School Challenge” by David Francis and Bruce Raley has more information on this principle and it gives a more detailed explanation in the appendix about how this principle works.

It does cost the church a little bit to begin a new unit (as you supply the leaders and participants with materials) but as you can see, this expenditure will be multiplied in the future by the new people that are reached as they become spiritually and relationally connected to the life of the church.