Service Projects is a post from: GroupLeader.org Lifepoint Church Small Groups

What should we study next? is a post from: GroupLeader.org Lifepoint Church Small Groups

What Do We Do About Small Group Child Care is a post from: GroupLeader.org Lifepoint Church Small Groups

Volunteer Community, January 29th, 2012 — Smyrna Campus 4:00 – 6:30, This event is a chance to hear the vision and direction of the church from the Senior Leadership team. It is also a great chance to spend time with your coaches and other Small Group Leaders. Childcare and food will be provided, but you must register here in order to attend. Please feel free to bring your apprentices. This is a great chance for them to learn more about small group leadership!

Host Orientation: January 29th @ 9:30 and February 5th @ 9:00 A.M. in Cafe, Know someone who would make a great small group leader? Our new campaign begins on February 19th. We are looking for new leaders now. Host Orientation is a 1 hour class that is required to be a small group leader. It is a chance for potential new leaders to get some training, ask questions and meet some of the GroupLife leadership team that can help their new small group get off to a good start. If you would like to suggest someone or have questions yourself, please contact your coach or coordinator today.

Leadership Cafe: February 22nd, 29; March 7th 6:30pm-7:30 P.M., Ever have questions for your coach, coordinator, or even other small group leaders? This time on Wednesday nights is designed for the GroupLife team to share some leader tips and ideas that might be helpful and allow you time to get to know some of the other small group leaders who can be helpful resources as well. This event is open to all small group leaders on any or all of the dates.

We believe this is going to be an amazing year at LifePoint and we are glad you are going to be a part of it. As always if you have any questions or suggestions, please let your coach or coordinator know.

What’s Going On In GroupLife? is a post from: GroupLeader.org Lifepoint Church Small Groups

HOST Orientation: (1/29@9:30am; 2/5@9:00am) to lead a Small Group through LifePoint Church you have to attend HOST Orientation. This is a one hour class that answers many of the questions a first time Host may have as well as give instructions for the next six weeks of leading a small group. We include information on expectations, 3 objectives, communication report, a commissioning from our Pastor and sample covenant. Orientation is offered prior to all church-wide campaigns and then monthly to people

Leadership Cafe: (2/22, 29; 3/7 6:30pm) periodically we offer an opportunity for leaders and coaches to attend an on-campus gathering where we share one key principle of small group. Many times this is via a video from Rightnowtraining.org or one of our own videos on Small Group experience. We leave a lot of time for Coaches to learn from their leaders and discuss issues. Optional.

Leader Tips: (2/13, 20, 27, 3/5 on Sacred Sex Series) These are video trainings which are emailed weekly during campaigns and quarterly throughout the year as reminders or ‘heads-up’ type issues that we are discovering. Many of these directly relate to the theme of worship, church calendar or common themes we see emerging via our communication reports on Church Teams.

Vmail stories: (4/16; 5/23; 6/18; 7/6 via email) Very few things are as powerful as a story. Especially a story that is from a fellow Small Group Leader or member. Quarterly we are emailing stories to all Small group members. These not only inspire but will also serve to communicate the message of small groups.

Volunteer Community: (1/29; 8/5; 12/8 4-6:30pm) A church-wide leadership event in which our Pastor casts vision, division directors share important information, and coaches discuss specific skills with leaders. This happens four times a year on a Sunday evening. Attend at least two per year.

Small Group Luncheon: (4/22; 10/21@ 12:00-1:15pm) The best thing we can do as Small Group Point People or Pastors is to help communicate the vision to small group members. A very productive way we have found to do this is offer a luncheon immediately after morning worship for all small groups three to four times per year. It is very convenient as well as FREE, and even includes child-care. We share vision, stories and giveaways to all who attend. It is a way church leaders can speak vision into every group leader and group member. Your group has to be represented at least one of these per year.

Coaches Coffee Time: (when you text/call/email your Coach for a meeting) This is a free cup of coffee on any Sunday morning you (Small Group Leader) want to have a conversation with your coach. You provide the questions and conversation, we provide the coffee via the World Cup Cafe. Some of the subjects that you can expect to surface are: spiritual guide, influence, our survey and Christ-Centered Journey, Service, apprenticing and empowering. These times are offered to Small Group Leaders and their apprentices.

Small Group Leadership School 2012 is a post from: GroupLeader.org Lifepoint Church Small Groups

Sound familiar? Most SG leaders have made this statement at some point. Here are five actions to consider in order to raise the level of commitment of each member in your group. Each of these require you to plan ahead…I mean ahead more than emailing people on Saturday night where Sunday’s meeting will be held.

5. Put them in charge of the meal planning for the next meeting. This would require you to open a discussion with the group about the food they like and watch for opportunity to calendar the menu for the next few weeks.

4. Have your next SG meeting/party at their house. This would require you talking individually with them about who would lead, what it would take to host, how it would help your family and the group.

3. Ask them to lead the next study at your house. This would require you meeting with them individually to ask, discuss and show hot to lead.

2. “Share the Load” of small group by discovering everyone’s interests, hobbies, passion. Then ask each of them, individually, to lead in planning/organizing a group outing or a part of the group related to their passion.

1. Pray by name, daily for the individual/family. Pray God’s protection around their lives and calendars. This would require discipline and planning on your part. In a group of 30 SG Leaders this became the number 1 response to this issue of commitment.

5 Actions to Increase Commitment is a post from: GroupLeader.org Lifepoint Church Small Groups

HOST Orientation: (9/25; 11/13; 1/22 @ 9:30am) to lead a Small Group through LifePoint Church you have to attend HOST Orientation. This is a one hour class that answers many of the questions a first time Host may have as well as give instructions for the next six weeks of leading a small group. We include information on expectations, 3 objectives, communication report, a commissioning from our Pastor and sample covenant. Orientation is offered prior to all church-wide campaigns and then monthly to people

Leadership Cafe: (9/18; 11/20; 1/29 @ 9:30am) periodically we offer an opportunity for leaders and coaches to attend an on-campus gathering where we share one key principle of small group. Many times this is via a video from Rightnowtraining.org or one of our own videos on Small Group experience. We leave a lot of time for Coaches to learn from their leaders and discuss issues. Optional.

Leader Tips: (1/29 via rightnowtraining.org) These are video trainings which are emailed weekly during campaigns and quarterly throughout the year as reminders or ‘heads-up’ type issues that we are discovering. Many of these directly relate to the theme of worship, church calendar or common themes we see emerging via our communication reports on Church Teams.

Vmail stories: (11/22; 10/12; 11/23; 2/21 via email) Very few things are as powerful as a story. Especially a story that is from a fellow Small Group Leader or member. Quarterly we are emailing stories to all Small group members. These not only inspire but will also serve to communicate the message of small groups.

Leadership Community: (10/23; 12/4 5-6:30pm) A church-wide leadership event in which our Pastor casts vision, division directors share important information, and coaches discuss specific skills with leaders. This happens four times a year on a Sunday evening. Attend at least two per year.

Small Group Luncheon: (11/13 @ 12:15-1:15pm) The best thing we can do as Small Group Point People or Pastors is to help communicate the vision to small group members. A very productive way we have found to do this is offer a luncheon immediately after morning worship for all small groups three to four times per year. It is very convenient as well as FREE, and even includes child-care. We share vision, stories and giveaways to all who attend. It is a way church leaders can speak vision into every group leader and group member. Your group has to be represented at least one of these per year.

Coaches Coffee Time: (when you text/call/email your Coach for a meeting) This is a free cup of coffee on any Sunday morning you (Small Group Leader) want to have a conversation with your coach. You provide the questions and conversation, we provide the coffee via the World Cup Cafe.
These are all offered to Small Group Leaders and their apprentices. The Luncheon adds the opportunity for Small Group members to attend. The expectation currently is for a Small Group Leader to be seen
One or all of these may help you in your search to offer the right or the next Leadership Development opportunity. The key for us has been continued learning, continued tweaking and continuing to offer options with clear expectations.

If you have any other ideas or comments, please feel free to leave them below.

Small Group Leadership School is a post from: GroupLeader.org Lifepoint Church Small Groups

I must say that once I let go and let God, it has really all worked out.

My group is made up of all single females, ranging in ages from 22 to 62, new believers, long time followers, Catholics, various denominations, one that converted from Wicca, along with many other characteristics that should cause our group not to work but with His help it works.  We have probably had as many people leave as we have had to join us… I truly feel that each person that has entered our group needed something or brought something to our group that someone needed at that time.

One of my biggest fears ,in addition to all of those listed above, as if they weren’t enough, in starting a small group was praying out loud in front of a lot of people that I really didn’t know.  When our group formed, I realized this was actually the same fear of 99 percent of our group.  We would spend forty five minutes to an hour each week with heart felt prayer requests and then three to four minutes with a prayer by one person.

When I prayed for guidance in this area, God sent me a gentler message…at the next group meeting, I told everyone we were going to try something new and explained, if the prayer requests were important enough for us to ask, they should be easy enough for us to pray for them.  Along with asking everyone to do something, there was a need to give something back; everyone loves to see results so prayer stones and an empty heart shaped glass bowl was the answer.

We were all going to stand in a circle holding hands around my coffee table.   Each person praying their own request and if anyone does not want to pray they simply squeeze the hand of the next person and so on all round the circle until we close.  Going forward any Praise for an answered prayer would be celebrated before we pray and one beautiful prayer stone would be placed in the bowl.

That first night there was fear in the room you could see and feel it everywhere however we had about 8 of 12 people pray out loud.  Two people revealed they had never prayed out loud before in their lives and how happy they were that we had tried this new activity and that fear was behind them.  Once again, when we let go and let God, he takes care of all of our fears.

That was over a year ago and as you can see from the picture; our heart shaped glass bowl is running over with prayer stones.  Everyone in our groups now prays out loud each week (my dog Percy comes from wherever he is in the house when we stand to pray and joins us inside the circle until we finish praying) and it is such a natural thing to everyone.  We have answered prayers for children, jobs, family, co-workers and cancer but that is another story for another day.

Sherry May

A Small Group Story is a post from: GroupLeader.org Lifepoint Church Small Groups

Discover LifePoint.  This is a one-time, one-hour class that shares with participants the mission and motivation of LifePoint church, as well as discover their next step on their spiritual journey.  Encouragers meet with each individual to discuss their next step.  Next steps include connecting with a small group and/or service opportunity.

Small Group Interest Cards are available in Discover LifePoint (DLP), the Guest Services Booth and on-line.  This card can be completed quickly and shares info about the person seeking to get connected.  Our goal is to introduce this person to a GroupLife staff and a Small Group Leader within a few weeks.

Starting Point* Group.  Starting Point meets on-campus on Sunday mornings and is an exploration of God’s grand story and where you fit into the narrative through a conversational environment.  This is a 10 week experience at the end of which participants are aided in starting a small group.

Connections Bible Study is one of the easiest ways to meet others who are looking to connect to a small group.  This is an on-going, on-campus opportunity to study God’s Word with other singles and couples while seeking to form a small group.

On-Line: Small Group Interest forms are available at LifePointchurch.org.  This form is processed the same as a Small Group Interest card.  Inquirers will be invited to meet with someone from our GroupLife team and in time introduced to a small group leader.

GroupLink: This is a periodic event designed to help people take what can be a scary step into a group and make it more natural and relaxed. At GroupLink, there is the opportunity to choose from dozens of new and existing small groups.  We encourage people to have a conversation with two or three leaders and choose one with which to connect for a six-week study.

Start Your Own: God has given us all relationships that can be avenues to a small group.  The opportunity to gather a few friends or neighbors and study God’s Word is natural.  LifePoint provides an orientation class, resources and coaching for people who want to start a small group.

Which one is most fitting for you?

How Many Ways? is a post from: GroupLeader.org Lifepoint Church Small Groups

Every spring you  probably see many people begin walking or riding their bike in your neighborhood.  As it gets warmer, it is easier to encounter people.  What is your first reaction when you pass someone on the street or they pass by your house when you are working in the yard?  For most people we give a polite wave or head nod and go back to what we were doing…. what if we took the time to actually stop and talk?  Sure it might be a little awkward, but what kind of a difference could it make.  We were never meant to do life alone and while the other person may be content to return your usual wave and nod, they would probably be just as happy to stop and talk, especially if you ask them something about themselves.  If you know more about them, the next time they are more likely to stop and talk again.  You begin to know your neighbors as more than faces.  You know their families and hav an opportunity to be a part of their lives.  You might even get a chance to invite them to your small group

This is one of the reasons we encourage the idea of “The Open Chair”.  This means that your group should open to the idea of inviting and investing in new people.  In Mark 12:28-34 Jesus commanded us to “love our neighbor as ourselves”.  As you and others in your group begin sharing with neighbors God may provide an opportunity to invite them in to your group.  Some groups will even leave an empty chair during meeting times as a visual reminder to continue to invest and invite others.  If your group is “full” and does not have room for others, is it time to considering reproducing another group?  Is it time for you or your apprentice to step out and start a group in order to have more room to impact others around you?  If so, please contact your coach, coordinator, or dirctor for next steps and we would love to help you!

Impacting Your Neighborhood — The Open Chair is a post from: GroupLeader.org Lifepoint Church Small Groups