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Elements of a Successful Group
Over the years, Amy and I have participated in several different small groups. Some were much more successful than others.
Here are the elements we’ve found essential for a great group:
- A great group needs a leader. When everyone is always voting on what we do next, we never do much. A good leader makes for a good group.
- A great group is built around God’s word. Too often, small groups become all about fellowship. While fellowship is always essential, doing life around God’s word is what truly makes the difference.
- A great group is a safe group. If people can’t discuss openly without fear of judgment, rejection, or gossip, the group is doomed to fail.
- A great group looks outward. Serving together is life-changing.
- A great group births new groups. If a group stays together for too long, they usually grow stale. Healthy groups produce new groups.
- A great group takes breaks. We often take the summer off from consistent meetings. We’re all busy. The break makes us long to be together more.
- A great group hurts together. I just got off the phone after talking to a young woman with four children who just lost her 39-year-old husband. Even though she is devastated, she told me confidently that her Life Group would be there for her. God is glorified through such a group.
Have you been part of a successful small group? What do you think made that group successful?
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This is a simple, easy to understand list. I think I have tried to produce this in each of the groups I lead. I also think our 3 1/2 year old church has produced this in most of the 30 plus groups we have. With our rapid growth, sometimes it’s been harder putting labels on exactly what makes a great group. This helps identify those traits.
As pastor, the one more difficult is the “takes time off” part. I see the missing each other aspect, but I’ve also seen so many people form bad habits of attendance after long breaks. I think this can only come after the relationships have developed strong enough for the missing each other to occur.
Thanks for this post.
Ron
http://www.ronedmondson.com
GREAT POST! In my opinion “success” means something different to everyone and it is hard to pin down . To me success is the ability to be “safe”(3#) and just me (a total dork)….My husband and I are hosting Sat night at LC Hendersonville and I was cheering the ‘We got spirit…yes we do…and a “parter” said..you know your “not right” and we both laughed as I said THANK YOU! I took that as the BEST compliment…I don’t ever want anyone to think I am WONDER JENNY CHRISTIAN…I am just ME…If I can be me….I can be ” free” in any group!
Curious, Does leadership in your opinion ever hinder the ability to just “BE”?
I’ve certainly been in and led some great, life changing small groups and a couple unsuccessful small groups. Another interesting observation I’ve made while leading an established church through the process of canning a traditional Wednesday night ministry to start small groups, has been that many people don’t know how to be in a small group. I don’t blame them, of course, because many people that have been in church for a while have never been involved in a successful small group.
Because it’s so much out of their presupposition of what church is, it’s difficult to help people move forward in being part of an authentic community like a small group.
Successful small groups are more than just a Bible study and more than just a gathering. Both elements must be in the proper balance.
I wonder, how do you help small groups organically develop while at the same time helping them be successful?
[...] ‘Safety’ one of 7 elements of a great group Craig Groeshel, Swerve [...]
Jenn asked, “Does leadership in your opinion ever hinder the ability to just “BE”?”
I think any leader of anything has a harder time just “being” than someone who is not leading. But I feel less pressure leading my life group than I feel leading anything else. They help me to be okay with just “being.”
Ryan asked, “I wonder, how do you help small groups organically develop while at the same time helping them be successful?”
Can any of you give him some thoughts?
Jesus made mention of “all” and included you mind. Small group/Sunday school/home Church whatever; the name speaks directly to that issue. Devote your “mind” to being discipled by another. Then, as John puts it, the “love” thing comes into play.
It’s the time off that puzzles me. I can’t seem to get together enough! Trust, bonds, maturity don’t just happen overnight. Growth takes time, it’s not a race. Look at the parable of the soils, it wasn’t the growth, but the harvest. Changing small groups every 4 months really just gives you a bigger “hello” base on Sunday!
And, yea, the leader IS always on.. responsibility is a hard taskmaster
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. - Matthew 9:36
This Scripture helped launch my “career” as a small group leader. To me, it reveals a great deal about the qualities of Jesus, and aspiring small group leaders. Namely:
1. Small group leaders see Divine potential in others. (..he saw the crowds..)
2. Small group leaders see people as God sees them. (..they were harassed and helpless..)
3. Small group leaders step-up to help others become fully devoted followers of Christ. Ultimately, they are moved by compassion to do so. (..he had compassion..)
I wholeheartedly agree with #1 above, Craig. Sheep don’t vote, they follow.
Love you man! Have an awesome day serving God!
These posts are excellent…thanks for doing this series, Craig!
I appreciate #1 most of all. Having been in a number of small groups, I can tell you that being in a group that is disorganized can be quite frustrating. We can spend all 2 hours suggesting studies or prayer requests unless we allow someone to step up and direct the meeting.
In addition to that, in order for a group to be safe and Biblically focused, someone has to be prepared to lovingly mediate amongst the group. Someone needs to step in when gossip begins, or when someone makes a hurtful comment. And most of all, someone needs to ensure that the group resolves their conflicts according to the Matt 18 principles.
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Agree! I think I am definitely lacking in showing leadership as the leader. I lead the group in the lesson, but honestly don’t lead it well beyond that.
Thankfully, now I realize this and can pray about it and fix it! For God’s glory!!
Hi Craig/Bobby,
I’ve been reading through your posts lately on small groups and I was wondering if we could use some of your posts as articles on our site http://www.smallgroupexchange.com Alan Danielson has been helping us out a lot as well with training videos, etc. Please contact me at the email above if you are interested and I can give you more information. Thanks so much!
A great group looks outward! That is how our small group of young married couples has truly grown closer to Christ and to each other. Serving together has taken us to new levels and gotten us beyond our own little world and into an adventure of getting “beyond ourselves.” Thank you.
Craig/Bobby,
I was wondering if you would be interested in submitting these blog posts on small groups as articles on smallgroupexchange.com? Please email me if you are interested. Thanks so much!
“A great group is built around God’s word. Too often, small groups become all about fellowship. While fellowship is always essential, doing life around God’s word is what truly makes the difference.”
Would you elaborate on the specifics of this matter? I whole-heartedly agree with the notion, I’m just curious how, in your mind, “built around God’s word” is fleshed out?
Do you mean going through a book of the bible expositionally, paragraph by paragraph (btw, so many folks are biblically illiterate, I believe, because they’ve never done this)? Or do you mean systematically memorizing Scripture? Or do you simply mean finding a group curriculum that is based in Scripture?
In your experience/training/knowledge/wisdom/etc., what does “built around God’s Word” look like?
I think built around God’s Word means never coming to any resolve in a small group without consulting the scriptures carefully to find what the true answer should be and would be. We can get others opinions in a lot of different directions but the truth comes from the Word of God. No group will be truly successful without connecting to Word of God to get the correct outcome.
Coming at this from the perspective of being in a small group through a Northpoint Church (but not being in ministry) I couldn’t agree with all of the statements above.
Here are a couple of more:
1)Small groups need to hang out outside of their once a week meeting. It builds an even stronger bond. It also allows your non-Christian friends to see that you’re not hangin with a bunch of weirdos once a week.
2)If you’re in a married small group, split things up every once and a while so guys can be with the guys and gals can be with the gals. Lots more transparency…
3)Pray for each other outside of the group. Especially each others marriages if it’s a married group.
That’s just the two cents from a non-ministry guy that is 100% totally sold out on small groups…
“could agree more” is what I meant to say
Thanks Craig… you answered my question from Monday
I’ve been in many great small groups over the past 12 years but notice that “5. A great group births new groups” is a primary reason small groups arrive at a point of diminished returns: fewer new faces, less spiritual breakthrough, infrequent focus on serving the community. Refusing to recognize the necessity of birthing new groups and holding too tightly to today’s synergy means the group will lose “IT” in just a matter of months.
Judy,
Great words indeed. I agree!
Man, I love your Jarad’s transparency! I was leading once, but leading without much shepherding. Someone spoke up and said this, “we long to be lead, lead us somewhere.”
Ouch! But in a good way!
Small groups can be great, I am leading one currently. I am learning from my past experience from another small group, where the leader pushed every get together to become a leader of a small group. Listen LEADERS; don’t push your group to become leaders every single meeting, grow first and look for signs of good leadership within your group. Please, don’t push this down people throat, baby steps first.
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