One year ago this month, I came on board as the Pastor of Small Groups at Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. For years, small groups have been seen as essential at this church. One of our core values is that life change happens best in small groups. Yet, without a staff person giving full-time attention to small groups for several years, the opportunities for long-term success were minimal and the possibility for problems was optimal. Let me share a few stories.
Over the past year, and especially over the last couple months as Fall has approached and arrived, several small groups simply stopped meeting. No particular reason given; just a lack of interest, I guess you could say. Because of a weak system of oversight and support, we did not learn of some groups' demise until months after the fact. Many small groups had issues and problems that the leaders had no idea how to deal with. So the groups disintegrated. In a couple groups, it was the leaders who lost interest and basically terminated the groups. They had been "recruited" at one time to lead a small group, but never really had a passion—or been impassioned—for it. One group dealt with major issues—a divorce among one couple in the group and individuals who turned away from God. The group first drifted apart and then broke apart. I believe the members are still hurting. Another group ended literally in a cursing session between some of the participants.
It's really no secret why these groups failed. It all comes down to one word: training, or, actually, a lack of leadership training.
Many of the leaders had been asked to lead a group, given a curriculum, and sent on their way. The leaders were never really envisioned or equipped for what they were being asked to do. The most training many of them received was one three-hour session on the basics of leading a group. The church had a coaching system in place, but the coaches were no better prepared for their important role. Many, I found out, had been recruited, handed Willow Creek's Coaching Manual, given five leaders, and sent out to do whatever coaching meant. I learned after my arrival that coaching meant different things to different coaches.
As I talk with leaders involved in small groups across the country, it seems to me that our church is a good example of what is going on—or not going on—in many churches. Worse yet, I fear, the urgency to get people connected in some large churches has stimulated a new fad in small group circles of starting up small groups with no or very little training.
Some churches start many new small groups by gathering a group of like-minded people for an evening. They share with one another around a few ice-breaker questions, seek God for guidance, and then, on the count of three, everyone points to the person they think should be the leader of the group. These new leaders are then pulled together for a quick training meeting on the basics of facilitating the group and sent on their way to lead. The idea is to start as many groups as you can. If a few groups don't make it past the first six weeks, that's OK, because you've started so many new groups. But without good ongoing training, I am afraid the long-term ramifications could be devastating to many people, to many small groups, and to many churches.
Jesus spent three years with his disciples before releasing them to leadership on their own. His leadership training could be described by such words as intentional, intense, practical, modeling, hands-on, encouraging, and transformational. Throughout the church of the New Testament, we see Jesus' pattern of discipleship replicated. I may be missing something, but nowhere in Scripture do I see shepherd leaders chosen by their flocks and sent out to lead with no or minimal training.
I am troubled about the potential long-range consequences in the small group movement to minimizing the importance of intentional, up-front leadership training. If we fail to train our people before sending them out to shepherd, serve, and lead, we put our ministries at risk in several different areas. Without intentional, up-front leadership training, the questions are:
How can we be sure that pure doctrine is being taught (and discussed) in small group meetings? How can we assure that leaders are speaking where the Bible speaks and are silent where the Bible is silent? When a group member asks a doctrinal question, does the leader answer off the top of his head? From a teaching she heard on a radio program? From his own opinion on the matter? Or from Scripture? My experience, unfortunately, is that oftentimes the poorly trained leader talks off the top of his head. Leaders must be trained how to help the group discover the answers for themselves in Scripture.
How can we know the hearts of small group leaders? Without spending much time with them in advance, all we can see is the way man sees them—from the outward appearances of skills, knowledge, and charisma. It takes time spent with someone to see what God sees—their hearts.
How can we know the character and integrity of leaders: in their marriages, workplaces, and neighborhoods? Group leaders do not have to be perfect, but they are a model of Christ-like living. How can we ascertain that without spending time with them?
How can we know for sure if they understand the vision and values of our small group ministries? If they do not, they can easily steer the group off-course from the mission and vision and purposes of the church.
How can we equip them with the necessary skills to shepherd a small flock of God's people? This month's issue of Small Group Dynamics is about handling difficult people in a small group. Without some upfront training, how can a leader know how to deal with difficulties? Where will they develop the skills of listening, asking follow-up questions, and sharing leadership?
How can we assure that they are leading people toward God and spiritual maturity, rather than in some other direction?
How can we develop people in small groups who will grow and eventually be sent by the group to start a new group?
Today, a leadership training track is in place at Northeast Christian Church. Up-front training involves two modules: (1) a three-hour "Basic Training" workshop and (2) a 3-6 month apprenticeship. A potential leader has three options for the apprenticeship:
Mentor under a current leader in an existing small group
Be involved in a 5-6 month Turbo Group (a group in which all members are apprentices)
Very experienced leaders (who have led small groups in other ministries in our church or have led a small group in another church and have been in a small group in our church for at least three months) can start a group as an apprentice with a "sponsor" who provides one-on-one intentional coaching for the first three months of the group. This coaching is very intense at first and scales back over the three month duration
Ongoing training involves (1) a system of well-trained and supported coaches; (2) a free membership to SmallGroups.com for each leader; (3) a monthly email from the Small Groups Pastor with training tidbits; (4) semiannual leadership training seminars on specific topics of training around our five core values; (5) spiritual maturity classes offered by our church for everyone, but promoted heavily to leaders; (6) church-wide leadership training, both in-house and external (such as the Leadership Summit); (7) an annual small group retreat for leaders; (8) an annual small group celebration.
It may seem like using intentional, intense training would limit the numbers of small groups we can start. But that is not true, particularly over the long-term. I could start 50 small groups in our church using untrained leaders. That would help us connect 500 people into a small group. Not bad. But how many of those groups will be alive one year from now? How many people will still be connected in community? How many of them will have grown in their faith? How many will grow to the point of being prepared to lead others (see Hebrews 5:11-6:1)?
On the other hand, if I can start one small group today and send out just ten well equipped leaders in six months, I know the people in those groups will be connected in community and to Christ, they will be in a much better position to grow spiritually, and they will more likely grow to the point of being sent to help start another small group. As each of those groups send out well-equipped leaders, the multiplication continues, so that many more than 500 people can be connected. And not just connected in a group, but connected in transformational community that will continue to send.
That's Jesus' method of leadership training. Let's continue to do it His way until all neighborhoods and all nations are reached for Him.
