Small Group Musts

Six Irreducible Minimums for Small Groups

When people come together in a small group venue, there are six specific principals that we would like to see. Here they are:

Life Change: create a predictable environment where participants can experience authentic community (accountability, belonging, and meeting of needs) and spiritual grounding (prayer, study of Scripture, and serving together). Put simply you are creating a venue together where God’s presence is experienced and known.
Cultivate relationships: think of relationships like bank accounts, they need regular deposits. Have a get together outside the regular small group meeting time (eat out together, see a movie, go camping, go to a game, serve together).
Promote participation: remind the group you are a facilitator, not the teacher of the group. All group members should be encouraged to participate in discussion. More than right answers (although these are critical to growing in the faith) we want people to share life together. This includes participating in the process. We want to develop self-feeders, not someone dependent on a teacher to grow in their faith.
Provide care: the primary way we meet needs is through the small group. Help meet one another’s need’s the best way you can as a group. If needed contact the Campus minister or Associate for input and help.
Think multiplication: every group should know from the out-set that one of the goals is to multiply the group. When a group reaches critical mass, it is time to multiply the group. Multiplication of groups is how we will reach the campus community with the Gospel of Christ.
Replace yourself: each small group facilitator should have an apprentice. The apprentice should be someone who is a believer, reliable, and teachable. They should know from the beginning that when the group multiplies itself, they will be leading the next group and mentoring their own apprentice to do the same. As the old saying goes, “There is no success without a successor!