The Small Group Experiment

How many of us took chemistry at some point during our education?  For me it was my Jr. year of high school.  I can still remember doing those “experiments” in the lab of Mr. Wilson’s classroom.  The thing I remember most was how each test we ran relied on a very carefully measured amount of chemicals. Too much of this, too little of that or the wrong mixture all together, and the desired outcome was doomed.

In many ways, small groups are the same as those old high school chemistry experiments.  They are a mix of different personalities, dreams, needs and spiritual maturity. Every person who attends a small group brings their own perspective on what the group should look like. One person may be heavily into the study of the Word and feels the group should do a word by word study of Leviticus…another might feel that community barbeques and parties should be the main focus of the group, and yet another might think that every small group event should be some sort of service project.  None of these activities are wrong or bad, in fact they are all expected from a LifePoint group (Discipleship, Community, and Service).  However the lack of balance can negatively affect the desired outcome (doing life together), and shorten the lifespan of the group.

The ability of a group to really enjoy each other and grow together as a “small group family” can be tricky. Finding a balance between leaders, servants, and various other roles can be the first step to success or failure of a group. LifePoint GroupLife has attempted to ease this process by creating a four-step introduction process for establishing a new small group. 

Step 1:  Participate in GroupLink…this is an event held twice a year for new and existing groups to set up tables in the Concourse of the church to allow interested people to stop by and meet face-to-face with leaders and their group members. Leaders are encouraged to decorate their tables in a way that represents their group and its interests.

Step 2:  Host a social for all of the new potential group members. These events are less formal and provide an opportunity for everyone to get to know one another. These events also reinforce the small group concept of growing together in community.

Step 3:  Complete a six-week bible study together in connection with an ongoing, campus-wide series. These studies are typically DVD-driven and very easy to lead. Small group members are asked to commit to the six-week of study by signing a group covenant. The covenant simply shows each member’s commitment to the group, as well as some basic ground rules, i.e., childcare, food arrangements, location, meeting time, etc.  (A sample covenant can be found at www.groupleader.org.)

Step 4:  This is the time to determine whether or not the “experiment” worked. At the end of the six-week study group members are asked to decide if they are going to stay together and continue to meet, or if members would like to explore the option of joining another small group.

 

Having a simple four-step process for people to connect and grow in their relationship with Christ and each other, increases the likelihood of a successful outcome for the small group experiment.

~ Brad Bynum, GroupLife Coordinator

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