Feed the Fire, Don’t Blow it Out

Matthew 5:15   “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.”

I am a light.  You are a light.  How are you shining?

For Small Group Ministry leaders, we need to create an environment of shining! Creating an environment is about creating a culture for small groups. Create a culture that allows small group leaders to SHINE (and give light to everyone in the house).  Here’s areas to consider when devising a small group culture.

A Culture of Curriculum

While I believe that small groups are about so much more than a curriculum, curriculum is a critical part of achieving the goals for small groups. If discipleship is a focus, the curriculum should be deliberate about promoting discipleship (make sure you define discipleship in order to have a common understanding and goal).  Whatever your small group vision or focus, the curriculum has to be a critical part of creating the overall culture.  Curriculum should be controlled, but not micro-managed.  Give options, but don’t dictate the curriculum.  Likewise, don’t give free rein to ‘do whatever you want.’  How can you ensure that your vision and focus is accomplished if everyone does whatever they want?

A Culture of Continuing Education

Continuing education is about creating a culture of pouring back into the small group ministry members. A culture of continuing education requires regular checkpoints with the leaders. What are they struggling with, where can leaders improve, how to disciple, etc. You need to have a mechanism for receiving this information and a mechanism for addressing this information with leaders. Schedule regular continuing education gatherings. Use the feedback to cater the topics to the concerns of the leaders. Continue to pour back into small group leaders, equipping them to be the best leaders they can be.

A Culture of Value and Appreciation

Small group leaders can feel like they serve in a vacuum.  They don’t serve alongside a team, instead they serve out in the trenches week after week alone. Small group leaders are experiencing the true journeys with their members, highs and lows. It’s exhausting! Small group leaders need to be constantly reminded of their value and they need to see regular appreciation. You must create a culture of constantly and publicly valuing your leaders and individually appreciating the leaders.  Value should come from the top. Senior Pastors cannot delegate valuing small group leaders. Senior Pastors must be the chief cheerleader and encourager of small group leaders. Showing appreciation should be individual. Leaders will feel appreciated by a call, a card, a conversation, sharing a coffee together. Appreciation is individual and critical.

What other areas are important to creating small group culture?

Gently…

Hebrews 5:2 “He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness.”

Remember gentleness and grace in the list of qualifications for a small group leader.  Always deal in gentleness, extending grace as you would want it extended to you.

A Principle of Apprenticeship

Matthew 10:5-6     These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.

Jesus was the greatest model for how to apprentice someone in the faith. Even more so, Jesus’ method developed disciples.  Jesus’ model/method was simple: teach, model, include and release (repeat).

We see a great example of the teaching in the ‘sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7).’ In Matthew chapters 8 and 9 we see a great example of Jesus modelling. Jesus continued teaching, but demonstrated the kingdom through ministering in people’s lives (healing, raising the dead, casting out demons) with the disciples always looking on.  Jesus most popular method of inclusion was simply modelling ministry to the disciples. The disciples were firsthand observers of ever act of ministry Jesus did.

In Matthew 10:5-6, Jesus releases the disciples.  Jesus didn’t just release the disciples, he gave them a specific audience.  Why would Jesus give such specific instructions regarding the audience? Remember, this is the first account of the disciples being released to do ministry on their own. First, we know that the Jewish people are God’s chosen people.  Secondly, Jesus released them to an already receptive audience. The ‘lost sheep of Israel’ knew of a promised coming Messiah. They knew of the Old Testament prophecies.

I think this is a great principle of apprenticeship for small group leaders. Release them in environments where they have a greater chance of receptivity.  Release small group apprentices within their small group. Release them amongst friends.

As a small group leader, I need to be deliberate about identifying members that would be ripe for leadership. Once I have identified those people: I need to teach them about small group leadership, I need to model small group leadership, I need to include them in small group leadership (all the time observing and providing feedback) and finally I need to release them to lead in a safe environment. So, as you release your apprentices into ministry, remember to be deliberate about the environment where they are released.