“Creating A Small Group Culture”

This week I'm at Valley Forge Christian College to share with college students the vision of a community of believers who are connected in small groups. Here are some of the thoughts I'll be sharing with them from a leaders lens ...

There must be a passionate and focused leader who is able to devote time and energy to researching, educating and implementing the DNA of “life together” throughout the local body. This individual must have the ability to make changes in all departments and at all levels of the organization.

The lead pastor must support, participate in, and communicate life together with a deep level of conviction. This is not another program to be implemented but rather a way of living.

Raise the awareness of the priesthood of the believer. Many people still believe that only the “paid professionals” can minister to those who are in need. You need to teach and convince them that they are ALL ministers. You must be willing to let go of the idea (and control) that as the “paid professional” you must do it all!

Provide initial training and ongoing development & renewal for all small group leaders.

Allow weekly programs and services to be altered or discontinued to permit people to SIMPLIFY their lives and create margins for life together.

Encourage creativity and celebrate ingenuity when people want to try a group.

Give people the chance to transition from group to group without having to make a long-term commitment.

Keep the value of “life together” continually before the people.

Develop yearly themes to keep the family focused and moving forward together.

Be willing to get dirty – lives are messy and don’t fit into a nice, neat package. There must be a level of transparency that permeates all levels of the church to foster an honest environment.

Small Group Resources

Below are a list of the most helpful resources I've read over the years as it relates to creating churches that are gathering in small groups.

Bill Donahue and Russ Robinson, The Seven Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002)

Bill Donahue and Russ Robinson, Building A Church Of Small Groups (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2001)

Bill Donahue and the Willow Creek Small Groups Team, The Willow Creek Guide to Leading Life-Changing Small Groups (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1996)

Randy Frazee, Making Room For Life (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2003)

Randy Frazee, The Connecting Church (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2001)

Carl F. George with Warren Bird, Nine Keys to Effective Small Group Leadership (Mansfield, PA: Kingdom Publishing, 1997)

Ted Haggard, Dog Training, Fly Fishing, & Sharing Christ In The 21st Century (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, 2002)

Neal F. McBride, How To Lead Small Groups (Colorado Springs, Colorado: Navpress, 1990)

John Ortberg, Everybody’s Normal Till You Get To Know Them (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2003)

Andy Stanley and Bill Willits, Creating Community – 5 Keys To Building A Small Group Culture (Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, Inc., 2004)