Life Groups

Some church matters over the past few months have kept me from focusing on Life Groups. I don't have a very good LG background. But I'm trying to catch up quickly through voracious reading.

Find below some notes from a book I just finished entitled The Seven Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry by Donahue and Robinson.

The Seven Deadly Sins are:

Unclear Ministry objectives: Three small group models: church w/groups; church of groups; church is groups. P22. Ways to associate groups: affinity, geography, placement. How to belong: church member, prospective, seeker. Every group has a leader. Some meetings have instituted structure model, others are per the group. Curriculum can be centralized or per the group. Willow has low-control, high-monitor model. Vertical alignment links w/church mission; horizontal alignment builds church together.

Lack of Point Leadership: Need someone to champion small group min to leadership and to church. Get people connected; monitor group effectiveness. Point leader needs leadership, administrative gifts, discernment, ability to communicate vision, team building.

Poor Coaching Structures: Good coaches care, listen, encourage, pray and reproduce (Christ in others through spiritual development). Coaches need supervision of the same kind.

Neglect of Ongoing Leadership Development: Pay attention to leadership pipeline and develop those leaders in it.

Closed Group Mind-Set: Open chair matters. Teach community with it growing and enlarging on different levels.

Narrow Definition of a Small Group: Define role of leader, nature of connection, community of care, spiritual next steps, willingness to extend community. Have common developmental framework, common structure, and common ground.

Neglect of the Assimilation Process: Follow up early and often. Also know when to quit. Connect to a small group leader. Developmental framework is: Groups, Grace, Growth, Gifts and Good Stewardship.