Many groups are resistant to the idea of multiplication. It's difficult to break up an existing group for the sake of reaching out to new people. Having babies—creating new communities—is painful, but the trade-off is better than remaining evangelistically barren. How do you keep a group focused on the gospel's command to be outwardly focused? Here are a few principles for fostering an environment of multiplication.
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Develop apprentice leaders. Every group should have someone being trained by the existing leader to prepare for leading a new group. A leader without an apprentice is inhibiting growth. A simple way to identify apprentice leaders is to ask the existing leader to take a night off while the group still meets. In his absence, who would lead the group? The identified "pinch hitters" become viable candidates for future leadership. Holding the expectation that every leader needs to be preparing future leaders should be part of your total solution.
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Maintain an interdependent infrastructure of small and midsize groups. Every small group should have a larger mid-size group as its parent or sponsor. When a small group launches a new group, often the two small groups can form a mid-size group and still see each other at mid-size group events. If I know I'll continue to see my friends that are starting a new group, their leaving does not seem as severe. Every small group needs a mid-sized group to relate to and every mid-size group should be made up of launched small groups. This interdependent infrastructure helps lessen the pains of launching new groups.
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Meet together outside of small group meetings. We've found that groups who complain most about launching are groups who meet infrequently. If a group is only meeting 2 to 4 times a month, then it probably hasn't had enough exposure time to go as deep as it desires. Groups that are meeting formally 2-4 times a month and then also meeting for service, socializing, worship, study, breakfast and other meetings often don't feel threatened by a group launching from their formal home group time.
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Sustain an influx of new people into groups. When a group continues to have new people directed to it, the group will reach a spot where it will have to launch a new group. When a group of 12 adults consistently meets and has few new people attending, it can easily become resistant to launch. When a group continues to have new people come and the ranks swell, the group usually comes to the conclusion on its own that it's time to start a new group. As new people come to your church, direct them to a home group in their area. Staff or trained volunteers can help introduce new people to groups. Just because a group seems full doesn't mean new people can't be introduced to it. These new people often lay the stages for future group launches.
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Allow groups time before you launch a new group. Most home groups have a 12 to 24 month "shelf-life" before major change takes place. Groups tend to launch new leaders or whole groups by this time, or they tend to calcify and may never launch new groups. This time frame allows a group to go through one to two seasonal cycles together before launching. Some groups launch sooner, but many need time to enjoy life together.
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Make multiplication an institutional and leadership value for groups. In all of your leadership training, church promotions, and support of home groups, emphasize the value of groups growing and launching. Also, emphasize this from the pulpit; let the church leadership express the value of groups launching groups. If the expectation is clear and repeated often, over time people will get the message that groups are expected to launch new groups. All leaders should be charged and encouraged with the vision of extending the joys of community to others beyond their existing group (Mt. 9:36-38).
- Make missionaries. Instill a missionary mentality in your group. Encourage groups to "send missionaries" from their group to start new groups. Have people pray for new leadership couples, commission them like you would missionaries, and encourage people to ask God if He would like them to become missionaries in their own neighborhood. Groups that send missionaries out experience pride and ownership when they help out these new people.
Randy Frazee is founder of The Connecting Church and author of Making Room for Life and The Connecting Church. The Connecting Church Association exists for the purpose of helping you build biblical community. Please send your ideas about joys of multiplying to info@theconnectingchurch.org. We would love to hear from you!
