You want more people in small groups. And that means you need more groups. Which means you need more leaders. It's the issue so many small-group ministries face: How do we get more leaders? The best way to ensure you'll always have new leaders ready to go is to apprentice them, raising them up from within your existing groups.
This Small Group Essentials Training Tool provides everything you need for apprenticing healthy, effective small-group leaders. Learn the vision for apprenticing and birthing, how to recruit and train apprentices, and the process for birthing new groups with new leaders. This resource is perfect to train yourself, train another leader one-on-one, or train a group of leaders at a training event. The Get Started Guide shows you exactly how to maximize the comprehensive training included in this resource.
Grow the Number of Small Groups in Your Church
Just like living things, small-group ministries are usually growing or dying—there isn't really a third direction. (And if there were, it would be called "stagnation.") So how do you make sure that your ministry is growing at a reasonable and healthy pace? Should you have existing groups "birth" new groups through the process of multiplication, or should you leave healthy groups alone and add new groups one at a time? We'll help you explore the different options involved with increasing the number of small groups in your church, and put together a plan that fits your ministry and, more importantly, the people you are trying to serve.
Small-Group Apprentice Orientation Guide
It's sometimes strange for people in a modern, Western society to realize that apprenticeship has been the primary method of job training throughout human history. That's because apprenticeship works. Having the opportunity to "learn as you go" gives apprentices a decided advantage when it comes time for them to step out on their own. And that's what many churches and group leaders are re-discovering today when it comes to small groups. We'll help you equip new and potential small-group apprentices with the resources they need to understand their role in a group, and to perform that role well.
Finding, Recruiting, and Training an Apprentice
When you think about it, small-group leaders have a pretty difficult job. They are expected to be experts on the Bible, worship, prayer, group dynamics, cooking snacks, evangelism, and assimilation. That's quite a list! That's one of the reasons why many group leaders seek out an apprentice. The other (and better) reason is that we are all called to discipleship. But the big questions that remain are: How do we find people to serve with us? How do we convince them to take the plunge? And how do we develop their skills to the point where they are ready to lead a group on their own? We'll help you answer these important questions.
Birthing Groups Well
Whether or not you've experienced it, new groups can be birthed in a healthy, caring way. Discover how to focus on leadership development, identify and train apprentices, prepare for a smooth transition, and lead the first meeting of a newly birthed group.
You have permission to make up to 1,000 copies of this resource for use within your local church.
